Tortured Sky
by topthis808
Summary: When Hydra steals a member of the Avengers, the teams patience and sanity will be put to the test. Months pass and the teams Captain slowly begins to lose the will his heart once had with Agent Skylar beside him. But, by some miracle, they find Skylar, well, half of the woman she used to be, what will be in store for the team when they find out what Hydra has really done to her?
1. Chapter 1

Welcome new readers! I've been tweeking this stories plot in my head for quite some time and finally had time to myself to write it down. I always had a soft spot for Captain America x OC plots and had to write one of my own. I had been debating between this and a Bucky/OC since Seb is completely gorgeous, but Steve won out in the end. If this works well if you, I may end up doing a Bucky one in the future.

Enjoy!

"Sky! SKY! NO!" He shouted, running as fast as his legs would carry him, the sight in front of him causing his blood to boil over as he tossed his shield without a second thought, taking out the pair of guards attempting to shoot him down at his approach. Knocking them completely unconscious, his ear was filled with similar yelling as he was currently doing along with a mixture of fighting and gun shots.

"STOP! NO! SKYLAR! SKY!" He screamed this time, collapsing to his knees as he stared longingly at the jet taking off in the distance, his chest heaving up and down at the distance he had run in attempt to save her. Her. They had taken her. Shot her down and took her with them. His hands clenched in fists under him in the dirt before he cried out in rage, anger of seeing those disgusting extremists with their arms around her, dragging her unconscious form onto the unmarked jet before shooting off, out of reach. Tears spilled down his cheeks as he hunched over, lifting his soiled hands to his face, his heart breaking piece after piece, before completely shattering.

"Cap! Have you got her? Have you got Sky?" A voice asked frantically on com only causing said man to yank the com from his ear before crushing it in his palm easily before falling to his side in the dirt, tears overflowing from his eyes and to his arms that were wrapped around his head, shielding him from outside world.

She was gone.

Months past and the group continued to search for their stolen comrade. Never giving up, never stopping in their search, working to the point of exhaustion as they traveled from country to country, desperately trying to find her.

Bruce wanted his lab buddy back, the only lab buddy he could stomach thanks to Tony.

Thor wanted his sparring partner back, his little sister as he had begun to address her as she had begun to call him big brother at his over protectiveness.

Tony wanted his cousin back. Though at the beginning, the pair did not get along, after joining the Avengers and actually saving each other on countless times, they had sorted their differences and made amends. Now they were inseparable as many had pointed out.

Clint, well, they had a momentary fling when she had entered SHEILD many years before. They had briefly thought it was love, the big L word being held above their heads before soon realizing that they would not go any further than friends with benefits. Not really something she was eagerly searching for. They called it quits after going on and off for about a year, but they didn't let that mess with their friendship that continued to hold till today.

Natasha wanted her best friend back. Though she didn't have a lot of friends, or those she referred to as friends, Sky was someone she grew attached to early on in her association with SHEILD. Aside from Clint, she was the first woman that she grew close to after her incident in the Red Room.

Then there was Steve. The two had such a strange start after meeting, those around them easily seeing the way each other made the other feel. It was quite painful to watch as both were continuously ignorant about the other, tiptoeing around each other. About 2 years into their meeting, Tony was the one to walk in on the pair hungrily kissing each other in a hidden corner of the Avengers flight deck. It was quite comical as Tony almost attempted in snapping Caps neck at the thought of a man making a move on his cousin but quickly backed down once he crawled out of one of Sky's deadly headlocks. He was seeing stars for quite some time after that. Tony, surprisingly kept it a secret for some time before Tasha was the one to find them, immediately announcing to the entire tower of her findings which sent the unofficial couple blushing 50 shades of red.

It wasn't long before they had made it official and Steve was finally able to begin wooing her like he had wanted to try back in the 40s.

It's been 71/2 months since they lost Sky to Hydra, 234 days since her smile was able to light up the tower, 331/2 weeks since her laughter lit the depression that continuously slowed through the group, and 5616 hours since he last held her to him. Just the thought alone sent Steve into another fit of rage as he sent the bag he was currently pummeling, snapping from the chain and across the room into the opposite wall. Sweat dropped down his form in waves, his chest panting while pain shot up from his hands. He may or may not have broken and fractured a few bones in his fingers and wrists, but he didn't care. It made due, clouding the pain in his chest briefly while he grabbed another bag from the ground beside him, hooking it up and in place to start once more.

"Maybe you should take a break." A voice startled him though he didn't show it and continued to hit the new bag, settling for ignoring them.

"She'd kick my ass for letting you hurt yourself." The voice added in annoyance sending the man in question spinning to glare at the woman leaning against the doorway.

"Is there something you needed Romanoff or are you on a mission to guilt trip me further?" He spat infuriated as Tasha continued to stare at him unfazed though she continued to feel the tinge of guilt rippling through her heart at the thought of her lost friend. She didn't show it though, she kept it bottled up to save her the heartache and anger.

"I'm just pointing out that your injured and clearly ignoring your own health. When's the last time you slept or ate for that matter?" She then asked, scrutinizing him slightly from her spot. He scoffed, glancing back towards the bag swinging in front of him.

"Mind your own business." He grunted under his breath, crouching to begin swinging at the bag in anger.

"It is my business when your health jeopardizes us on a mission." She hissed back, getting angrier and angrier at his ignorance though a small part of her completely understood his flip personality from months ago. Steve continued to ignore her, going back to throwing fist after fist at the bag, watching proudly as it swung at the pressure of his arms.

"And what happens when you're healing from an injury and we run across the bastards that took her? How will you hold your own?" She then pressed as he stopped swinging, though he kept his crouched position, glaring at the bag.

"Injured or not, I'd easily dispose of them."

Let me know what you think! Only constructive comments, no flames please! It's been years since I've written a story on Fanfic, slowly getting back into the swing of things!

Thank you!


	2. Chapter 2

**Since I got many great reviews, favorites and follows, I decided to update sooner than I had originally planned!**

 **So I also had forgotten to mention in the last chapter that I plan for this story to take place between AOU and Civil War. I figured that was the best place to start as we all wait for Civil War to release in a little more than a month.**

 **Aside from that, I'm debating on setting a specific day of the week for updates. I currently work 2 jobs AND am a mother of two! I know, shocking! Anyways, I usually have time to sit down during the week to write and tweek up chapters, but I'm thinking about having updates strictly for Sundays, since that usually the day when I'm doing ABOSLUTELY nothing lol Not completely sure, but we'll see how it works.**

 **Just a little heads up, this chapter will be from Skylar's POV when she is taken…YEY!**

 **Replies:**

 **Lucy: I'm so glad that you liked the chapter. I was a little hesitant to give Steve that much raw emotion behind his character but after I wrote it and read it again, I realized that it almost showed a completely vulnerable side of Captain America that I'm greatly drawn to. At first I thought it would make him look almost too weak to readers but seeing as he comes from a completely different era than we do, it fit perfectly in my opinion. We need someone on the team that isn't afraid to showcase his feelings.**

 **Guest CJ/Oddball: I'm so happy that so many people liked it. I didn't think I would get any reviews on it to be honest _ /hides away/ It was something that I had been playing around for a bit in my head, then sat down one day and wrote out the first chapter. Turned out better than I had expected, in my opinion. But yes, you can expect to see many 'flashbacks' to what and how she got close with the various characters, especially Steve. I promise I won't leave that out** **J**

 **peoplers: Of course! I wouldn't leave you hanging without some info or flashbacks on her various relationships with the Avengers, especially Steve. I'd be a terrible person to leave you hanging without it!**

Disclaimer: I don't own any Marvel Characters, though I seriously wish I did L But I hold claim against my OC/Skylar

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It was the loud blast of something behind her before her form froze. Glancing around, almost in a trance, she suddenly felt disoriented before her eyes landed on the blood drained face of Steve. Her hand unconsciously went down to her stomach at a sudden heavy set, feeling something wet quickly coat her hand as she lifted her palm to see it completely soaked in red. Blood. She had been shot. Taking in a shaky breath as she barely registered her arms naturally movement to lift her gun and take out two more soldiers approaching Steve before she collapsed into the rumble.

"Sky!" Steve's voice rang from somewhere far to her right, though it sounded muffled with her cheek pressed against the ground. She couldn't remember a gunshot hurting this much, but she had never had a bullet go straight through her stomach from her back. She shut her eyes tightly as the yelling of the entire group echoed into her com.

"Sky! Sky! Answer me!" Steve shouted into the ear piece as she groaned, her vision clouding ever so slightly.

"Come on babe, keep your eyes open! We're on our way to you!" Tony's gruff voice answered as her eyes slowly shut, wanting to shut out the pain that was crawling up her spine into her head. Damn. It hurt like a hell.

She hissed suddenly, her eyes widening in pain as someone had suddenly pulled her limp body up and into their arms. Warm. She silently thought, the figures of people beyond her vision blurry. Who was it? Steve? Thor? Tony? Clint? She couldn't make out the figure as she blinked her bleary eyes a few times against the sun shining down on them before something overheard sheltered her from the heat. Carefully they placed her on something that she could only assume to be a table of some sort before she felt something tighten around her wrists. Did they seriously think she was going to move? She just had been shot for god's sake. She could barely feel her legs as is.

"Steve." His name softly tumbled from her lips as her head lulled to the side, it was taking everything in her to stay awake but she wanted to be sure that the group was safe and completed the mission.

That's when her blood ran cold, even in her unconscious state. The sound of Steve screaming for her in the distance before the whirling of the jet she had assumed she was put in slowly started up before movement signaled its flight off the ground. Someone around her, turned her head to the opposite side before she felt them dig in her ear, yanking the com free before smashing it with a soft fizz.

Something was wrong.

She didn't know how long she had laid unconscious before she was suddenly ripped away from the darkness, the bright light at the ceiling the first thing to welcome her. She squinted at the brightness, having not expected it before lifting her arm to shield her face from it when it continued to be too bright for her. But that's when she realized that something was definitely wrong. Her arms were clamped down to the table she was laying on, along with her legs. She lifted her leg to kick out only to whimper as pain shot up her form and to her head. Biting down into her lip, rolling her head from side to side, she prayed for the pain to leave for the time being.

"Ah, it seems you have woken." An unfamiliar voice suddenly perked up, echoing around the room. A chill ran down her spine before she opened her eyes, slowly turning her head to see an unfamiliar man smirking at her from the wall just a few feet from her. She eyed him up before her eyes darted around the room, meeting his eyes once more. He sounded American from the way he spoke, which struck her as odd.

"Who are you?" She rasped out in defense, watching as a disgusting smile spread across his face before he kicked off the wall to approach her.

"Doesn't matter who I am, it's you I'm interested in." He smirked as he stood beside her form, eying her form up shamelessly.

"What do you want?" She narrowed her eyes, her mind reeling to figure out a plan to escape where ever the hell she was. Her eyes shot around the room, seeing that it was small, probably half the size of her bathroom at Avenger Tower. The only exit being that of a cell door just a few feet from her feet. He laughed suddenly before heading over towards a computer sitting near the wall, typing something in as the table, she had assumed it was, began to push her top half into a sitting position. She cried out as the movement pulled at the fresh wound still present in her torso, tears of pain filling her eyes.

"Oh you'll be fine, it's nothing more than a paper cut." He mocked as she snorted, glaring at him through pain filled eyes. That was it. She hated this man, the moment she was out of these restraints, she was going to kill him first, and slowly so she could enjoy it. A look of acknowledgement crossed his face as if he knew what she was thinking and snickered before glancing back at the computer screen.

"As for what I want, you, to keep it simple." He answered carefree from his spot against the wall, her glare on the back of his head easily felt.

"First things first, doctor!" He turned and suddenly shouted causing her to retract just a bit as the volume echoed through the small cement room. Without even bothering to glance in the doorway beyond the cell doors, she could hear the frantic shuffling of feet before two guards appeared on both sides of the cell door, pushing it open to let in a short, burly woman in a lab coat.

Sky was momentarily struck confused as she had been expecting a man, not a woman.

"Set her up." The man commanded the woman as she whimpered in fear and nodded repeatedly. Sky attempted to keep her eyes glued to the woman in question, but she disappeared behind her seat. The sound of things clicking into place just beside her head pushed her eyes to stare threatening at the man who only smirked. She tried to keep a neutral look on her face as she had been taught, but with the pain and fear of what was coming, did not help to ease her relief.

"Now that I have your full and undivided attention." He announced with a flip of his hand, dragging a stool loudly over to sit just in front of her.

"Let's get down to the real reason you are here." Her blood ran cold as the doctor knocked on the cell door, allowing in another handful of doctors who kept their eyes glued to the ground and away from the two of them. Her eyes flashed from side to side, as the various doctors began to move around the room, as if in another world completely before a hand to her chin, forced her eyes unwillingly to meet his once more.

"Weakness. What is the Avengers weaknesses?" The smile in his eyes had completely vanished, now replaced with absolute darkness that quickly clouded his eyes. Inwardly, she was completely taken back by the quickly change in demeanor but sat completely unmoving, her eyes never moving from his in a silent challenge.

He chuckled forcefully, sending shivers through various doctors who had not heard the man laugh before until a smack echoed through the room. Sky's head was whipped to the side, the pain in moving suddenly sent her vision lagging slightly as she now stared at the ground beside her.

"I don't think you understand the seriousness of your situation. We can do this the easy way or the hard way, though I enjoy watching you writhe in pain." His voice was suddenly close to her, her head was ripped back upright before pushed back into the head rest, his hand tightening around her throat. His dark eyes bore into her light ones, her eyes never showing how much pain and fear she was currently going through, that only made him smile wider. He loved a challenge, especially in a woman. Smiling, he slowly pulled his hand from her throat but never pulling away.

"You have guts, I'll give you that." He spat in her face before sitting back into his stool.

"But like I said before, there is really no way out of this. No matter how much you attempt to whip up an escape plan, it won't work. Not here. We are far from what you and your band of goons have dealt with. Now, I'm not going to ask again. You've been a part of SHIELD for most of your young life, on top of knowing secrets that I'm sure will excite me, what I want to know is about those super powered freaks you call friends. Tell me, what are their weaknesses? A person? A place? An item? What is it? You will tell me or your life will be forfeit before you're group even has a chance to track you here. They'll only find the dust of your bones littering the hallways." He was suddenly in her face once more, hissing in a threat, which on an off day would amuse her. Some of what he had called her friends, she had remembered calling them before.

But this wasn't an off day. For the first time in a long time, she was scared though it didn't show. She could feel her insides beginning to twist at an uncomfortable angle, sweat beginning to drop down the back of her neck, though she wasn't sure if that was due to the fact that she terrified out of her mind at what could happen or from the still bleeding wound in her stomach. Could be either at this point or a mixture of both.

Sky wasn't one to break, she never had, no matter how afraid she was, she wasn't a rat, especially to those she cared about.

Shutting her eyes with a silent prayer, she yanked back on the reins, opening her eyes to show her resolve in place.

"I rather die than rat out my friends and family. You can go fuck yourself in the meantime." She smirked as anger flicked through his orbs and into her face.

So maybe she hadn't thought her plan through to the end. Another hit was thrown as her face thumped painfully from the last blow, already feeling the broken nose and split lip throbbing through her head.

"Set her up and wipe her. Now." He called out through the room as the doctors suddenly moved closer to her. That's when she knew something was about to happen that she couldn't escape. Fear finally crossed her features as she glanced back and forth as large restraints were pulled over the arm rests and around her biceps and forearms, followed by her thighs and shins. What were they going to do?

"I gave you a chance to openly answer my question. You chose otherwise, which is fine with me. You'll make a great addition to our team."

The last thing she remembered seeing was the proud smirk of the still unknown man, a metal cap being pulled over her eyes, then Steve. She wanted to cry out and yell for him, though she knew he was far from her. Something was going to happen that she couldn't fix. Something terrible. And for once, she knew she was right.

Pain.

Memories.

Darkness.

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 **/ducks for cover/ don't kill me! I know I know. Terrible ;_;**

 **I couldn't help it. Bucky's background of being wiped of his loved ones and friends is by far, my favorite plot twist. I mean, it still kills me every time I see that movie. Figured I could pull that into this story, but have it a bit more personal seeing as she is not only family and friends with the Avengers but ONE of them in general.**

 **Poor Steve.**

 **So, share your thoughts. I'm also going to ask any reader that is interested, if there is anything in particular you would like see happen, I'm only a PM away. Let me know. I'm open to any ideas.**

 **Until next time!**


	3. Chapter 3

**So I barely got this chapter up before Sunday ended for me! I apologize for that, I surprisingly had a really busy day today though it was Sunday lol But here it is, the next chapter!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Marvel, though I wish I did**

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A few days following Sky's kidnapping, the group silently stood in the quinjet, Maria Hill's voice echoing through the quiet tin jet, informing the group of what they were flying into.

"We got it." Tony grumbled, shutting off communications before muttering curses under his breath in annoyance. Natasha silently sat between Bruce and Clint, both of which sat silently on either side of her, keeping to themselves as everyone seemed to do lately. Thor glanced over from his spot against one of the various walls, seeing Steve hunched over what he knew to be a locket the man had made sometime before Sky's disappearance. Even from the distance, the Norse god could see the familiar smiling face of the woman in the locket, her arms wrapped tightly around Steve's neck as he gave her a piggyback ride. The memory sent a shot of brief happiness up the god's form, a small smile forming on his lips before disappearing just as quickly as he realized that smile had been lost to them.

Steve sighed in defeat as he stared at her face in the only photo he owned of her. The way her hazel eyes lit up with her perfect smile, the way her arms clung to him as if she depended on him for safety. Just that thought sent guilt flooding his form. It was his fault she was lost to them. If he had stayed beside her or even kept her beside him, she wouldn't have been taken from him. He quickly snapped the locket shut, clenching it in his fist as he shut his eyes as the memory of the photo flooded his consciousness.

 _Flashback:_

 _"_ _I didn't think Central Park would be this quiet." She commented over to Steve who glanced down at her amused._

 _"_ _Isn't it quiet all the time?" He perked a brow as they continued walking down one of the various paths that littered the park. Sky on the other hand, snorted before glancing back ahead of them._

 _"_ _You obviously haven't been in here during summer breaks. The kids go nuts and then there's these punks who act like they own the sidewalks and everything. Irritates me really." She hissed the last part under her breath when she remembered chasing a group of skateboarders down after they plowed through her one day. Let's just say, after that particular ordeal, she never saw them again._

 _"_ _You know, back in the 40s, this place was an oasis for the wealthy and elite population. I only remember visiting this park once when I was young before it became too much for my mother to save up for a train ride back and forth." Steve explained as she peered up to see him looking far off as if he was remembering something from his childhood. Sky couldn't help but smile and find her shoes suddenly interesting._

 _"_ _I keep forgetting how old you technically are." She offered a light tease, hearing him snort as her eyes quickly found him._

 _"_ _Yet, here you are, with me." He grinned brightly, his hand quickly making its way out of his coat pocket and into hers, interlacing her fingers with his. Her heart melted at the look on his face before she looked away immediately, not wanting him to see her embarrassed._

 _"_ _What can I say? I have a thing for old guys." She shrugged sheepishly sending him laughing beside her._

 _Steve loved this woman, he knew that by now. And only being together for a few months, he felt like he knew her for years. At first, when this feeling had hit him, he was hesitant seeing as Peggy was the first woman that had his heart. But after a good ear whipping from Peggy on one of his visits upstate, he knew it was his self-conscious way of protecting himself if the same thing had occurred. Lingering on those thoughts, he came to the sudden realization that he was afraid to lose her, physically and mentally. Just the thought of losing her the way he did Peggy sent a violent chill of fear up his spine and to his heart._

 _He couldn't let something like that happen._

 _"_ _Steve? Steve?" He voice rang through his head as he shook the haunting thoughts from it. That's when he realized they had stopped walking and she was now standing in front of him, a hand on his cheek while staring up at him in concern._

 _"_ _Steve. Are you okay?" She asked panicked causing him to blink a few times before composing himself._

 _"_ _Yeah, just lost in my thoughts is all." He innocently commented as she stared at him unconvinced yet she didn't pry._

 _"_ _Let's sit." He suddenly announced, turning towards the bench beside him, pulling her down him._

 _They spoke about everything while they sat there watching the small amounts of people slowly walk or jog by. Steve told Sky more about the 40s, what it was like living in that era compared to this era. Sky had to silently agree that she would have enjoyed living in Steve's time. Sky turned around and spoke to him about her childhood a bit more in detail than he already knew._

 _Before long, it grew quiet between the two as Steve had an arm around her back while she leaned lightly into his side, content._

 _"_ _Sky? Can I ask you something?" Steve's voice suddenly wavered while Sky continued to stare up at him amused. She absolutely adored Steve's innocent and shy side, something that not many men had nowadays._

 _"_ _Shoot." She answered, his eyes lighting up and turning to meet hers._

 _"_ _Can we take a picture?" He asked suddenly though she noticed the light blush across his cheeks before she realized what he had asked._

 _"_ _What?" She asked chuckling as she was slightly taken back by the random question. Steve on the other hand, rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly with the other hand and turned away, unable to meet her eyes._

 _"_ _Well….I just thought…we haven't…..I mean….I was going…." He stumbled all over his words sending her laughing even further. Dear god he was too adorable for his own good. Leaning up and away from him, she pecked his cheek before pulling out her phone._

 _"_ _You are too cute for your own good. Get in." She turned her phone's camera on and held it in front of the two of them. She quickly leaned her head on his shoulder while he turned, surprised that she had moved so fast and leaned his cheek on the top of her head._

 _"_ _Cheese!" She eagerly smiled before taking the photo._

 _End of Flashback:_

He felt for her more than he ever thought possible. After being unfrozen and shown a completely new century, the last thought on his mind was finding love in this unfamiliar world. He had left behind a woman that held his heart before the ice, only to wake up and find that she had a life of her own. Married with children and grandchildren. After that heartache, the last thing he wanted was to find another that would be easily snatched from his grasp as Peggy was. When she had finally entered his life, it was a mutual liking that he found in her. She was beautiful, gorgeous and humorous and still could hold her own against the male species in the Earth's Mightiest Heroes. But that wasn't what had slipped the last nail into his coffin. It was the fact that her smile, even on the darkest days, could pull him completely from the slumps and feel as if nothing had been wrong to start with. He had never met another person with that ability. He would do anything to see that smile once more.

He still had hope.

They wouldn't easily kill her off, that much they knew and hoped for. They had obviously wanted her for something, but what? She knew each of the Avenger members to a tee. Their weaknesses, their strong points, everything. Everyone couldn't help but consider that fact as to why Hydra had taken her. She wasn't gifted like the men in their group, but she held much of the same strong points as Tash and Clint. She was quick-witted, thought quick on her toes, agile, determined, she knew her way around any sort of gun and could quickly put someone in a choke hold before they even realized what had happened. She was a great addition to the group as now two women filled the gap between the large amounts of men.

"1 minute Capscicle, Point Break." Tony's voice rose in the silent jet, startling everyone from their thoughts. Thor nodded from his spot, quickly striding across the space to the back of the jet that was slowly opening, showing the snowy landscape of some remote place in Russia. Steve sighed, forcing back the bile crawling up his throat before slipping the locket back into his hiding place under his uniform. Standing from his place, slipping his head gear over his head and across his face, he grabbed his shield and soon joined Thor who was continuing to stare down at the white landscape.

"Keep to the plan. Rendezvous, west entrance, 3 minutes." Steve's voice dropped in seriousness before he dove out, plummeting towards the earth with no fear in the world. Spinning mid-fall, he easily landed on one knee, Thor's heavy form landing just a few feet beside him.

They had a mission to complete. Annihilate Hydra.

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 **So, I honestly didn't know where to cut off this chapter, but from what I had written up so far, this seemed like the best part. Hope you guys liked it! I will see you next Sunday!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Soooooo… I barely got this chapter out today lol didn't expect this weekend to be so busy, but it was. Stayed out at a hotel with my parents and brothers for my little brothers Junior prom. Felt like a proud mama all over again ;_; Pretty much swam for 2 days, sunburned to hell and back and slept on the floor of the hotel room. Not ideal but it was a free mini-vacay before the week started.**

 **We literally just got back home and quickly pulled this up for you all! So, please forgive me for any grammar errors lol there are probably a few here and there but I'm literally running off of 2 hours of sleep in the last 2 days ;_;**

 **Hope you like it!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Marvel or any of its characters, though I desperately wish I did ;_;**

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The group had fallen into a choreography they had done so many times, fighting off soldier after soldier, blood splattering and coating the pure white fluff covering the ground. Quickly, they found themselves separated and entering the underground facility, decapitating any Hydra soldier in reach. Hulk naturally stayed outside, killing off anyone stupid enough to make a run for it while Rhodes took to the skies, keeping a sharp eye out for anything out of sorts.

"Romanoff, Hawkeye, clear the lower levels. If anything moves, kill it. Thor and I will clear these floors while Starks finds and taps into their database. Set your explosives. Rendezvous outside in 5 minutes. NO later." He emphasized the time before turning and running off with Thor at his heels, Stark zooming down the opposite hallway while Clint and Tash took to the stairs.

Everyone easily cleared their area, Clint and Tash barging through a side door they had come across, their various weapons drawn at the ready.

"This area wasn't in the blueprints." Tasha whispered seriously from beside Clint who nodded, his eyes training across the dark hallway. Something wasn't the right. The air was thick with a smell that neither of them could pin, though familiar, while the chill in the air almost challenged the temperature outside on the frozen hills. Tasha gripped her gun just a bit tighter as they rounded a corner, finally seeing a light spilling from a cracked open door just at the end. Clint gestured with his head quietly for her to follow as she easily nodded in agreement. Quietly the pair carefully snuck through the hallway, ducking in doors to make sure they were clear before meeting each other back in the hallway.

"It's a vault." Clint whispered in realization as they finally reached what they had guessed was a doorway only to see the large thickness of metal that you usually saw in banks, the spin dial sticking out from its backside. The two traded confused looks before Clint adjusting his grip on his bow, peeking his head around the large door into the brightly lit room.

Both slipped into the small room, their eyes flashing from wall to wall in anticipation for someone or something to jump out. When nothing did and Clint announced it safe enough to search, they began going through various things that littered the makeshift science lab as they nicknamed it.

"Bruce would get a kick out of this stuff." Romanoff commented under her breath, grabbing files and the like, folding and shoving them into the concealed holder on her hip before glancing over her shoulder when Clint called out to her. He had found another conjoined room. Natasha quickly drew her gun, striding over to his side before slipping to the other side of the doorway when they both heard a small sound inside.

"Someone's inside." Clint addressed as Natasha nodded, taking one last breath before kicking the door completely open, the pair jump inside at the ready, weapons at the ready. Nothing. No one. Tasha passed her partner a confused and hesitant glance before they finally got a look at the room. The other room looked like a science lab while this one looked to be made into a hospital room of some sort. A surgical suite if they could guess from all the equipment that was lying around on sterile tables.

Clint made to step forward to investigate, only for that same noise from earlier to fill the room. Both reacted quickly, their weapons at the ready as they aimed at the back of some sort of chair set at the center of the room. Clint made momentarily eye contact with Tasha before gesturing with his head for her to slip around the other side of the chair. She nodded quietly, her boots not making a sound as she did.

As the pair got close enough, they saw the paleness of a person strapped to the large chair like machine, their head completely hidden under a woolen bag, tied at their throat. It was easy to guess the gender of the unknown person seeing as the outfit those Hydra agents put her in, gave little to imagine. Shorts that were stiff with filth and shorter than even Natasha was used to, her top, which looked to have been an old hospital gown was dangerously short on her lanky form. Cut into a crop top, her breasts pressed tightly across the front. Clint looked alarmed up at Natasha whose brows furrowed at the sight of scars upon scars littering the woman's form. They had tortured her that much was evident.

Natasha took a hesitant step forward, almost jumping out of her skin as the person moved, the clanking of the metal chair echoing through the room. Once again, guns were at the ready as Natasha trained her gun, aimed at the woman's head through the bag.

"Who are you?" Clint ordered from behind his bow as Natasha met his eyes briefly. Stepping forward when they got no answer aside from a groan of obvious pain, that was when Natasha had finally noticed the gash that had been covered with a simple towel at the woman's abdomen.

"She's injured." Natasha pressed, keeping her gun up before reaching over to gently pull the towel away to see the festering injury across her torso.

"It's bad Clint." She added in realization, slipping her gun back into her holster though Clint kept his position with his bow. Natasha inspected the wound a bit longer before looking around the room for something. She quickly found a piece of clean gauze and tape, going back over to the woman to help dress the wound as best as possible. As soon as Natasha's hands touched said woman's skin, she gasped in surprise by the heat coming off of her. Clint was startled out of his pose, stepping dangerously closer with his arrow tip almost pressing against the woman's temple.

"She's burning up." Natasha added, more to herself as she began fiddling around with the metal bindings on the chair. The woman groaned as the chair moved, her legs twitching under her briefly as pain shot through her form.

"It's okay, we're here to help." Natasha promised, peering at Clint, silently telling him to help her. Clint sighed, hooking his bow back onto his shoulder before maneuvering around the room in search of something to pry the woman out.

"3 minutes." Steve's voice came through the com as Clint found a computer that had looked to be hooked up to the strange chair.

"We found a survivor, hostage, intensely wounded." Natasha explained seriously into the com, gesturing for Clint to hurry as he pressed a few buttons, watching in relief as the chair hissed, the bindings coming loose.

"Bind and retrieve as gently as possible. We'll do a debriefing once we get home." Steve commanded, though the two assassins knew the drill.

Clint was at Natasha's side quickly after placing a few explosives around their area, setting it precisely. Natasha caught the woman as she fell forward and out of the chair, moaning once more.

"It's alright. You're safe with us." Clint added in reassurance, helping to lift the woman to her bare feet, one arm over their shoulders.

"Should we take the bag off?." Natasha whispered over to Clint as they began to pull her out of the room a bit more eagerly as they listened to the familiar beeping of the various explosives littering the walls.

"We'll wait till we get outside." He grunted out causing the other woman to nod in silent agreement.

"1 minute Romanoff, Barton." Steve announced a bit more eagerly as he still had not seen the pair exit the building just yet.

"We're on our way." Clint grunted as they helped the woman up the stairs before reaching the top.

* * *

Thor, Steve, Bruce, Tony and Rhodes all sighed in relief as they found their comrades entering the safety zone of trees just outside the property of the underground base.

"Friendly?" Rhodes asked in hesitation as he noticed the extra body being dragged between the two.

"No idea, she was restrained in a metal chair and intensely injured." Clint explained as they quickly made their way towards the jet waiting for them just beyond the trees.

"Tie her up, no one leaves her side." Steve instructed as they quickly climbed into the jet, taking off moments before their explosives went off, sending the jet shaking a bit.

"Cutting it a bit close, don't you think?" Tony commented sarcastically from his spot at the helm. Natasha snorted as she finished tying up the woman's ankles before allowing her to lay on her side, watching her wound worried.

"Why does the woman have a bag over her head?" Thor was the one to ask as Clint looked over from his spot where he was rolling his shoulders out.

"It wasn't a good idea to remove it just yet." Natasha added as she stood guard in front of the woman's unconscious form.

"Remove it, maybe it's one of the SHIELD agents that went missing." Bruce added from his spot against the opposite wall where he was shakily pulling on a fresh shirt to warn off the cold temperature/ Clint nodded, walking past Tasha before carefully untying the knot around her neck before pulling it carefully from her head. Strange platinum white hair fell around the woman's features, hiding her face from view as Natasha leaned forward, gently pushing her hair from her face.

It was like a gun went off in the jet. Everyone was silent enough that even the soft hum of the jet was beginning to sound louder and louder as the seconds ticked by. Tony all but pushed Clint and Tasha to the side, his suit falling off in pieces as he dove at the woman, tears spilling from his eyes.

There was no mistake, even with the different color hair, it was Sky.

"Sky! Sky! Can you hear me?! Open your eyes sweetheart?! Come on!" Tony shouted in a panic, pulling her form up to hold against his chest as he slipped to sit beside her. Even as he shook her, ignoring the protest about her injury, said woman didn't move or open her eyes. They continued to lay shut, her long lashes a bright contrast against her extremely pale skin. Tony glanced up and down her form, his mouth opening and shutting like a fish out of water, unable to say anything as a sob bubbled up his throat and broke before the tears began to frantically fall.

Steve stood there, his world silently crashing around him as he stared over at the woman that greatly resembled the woman that was stolen from him. He opened his mouth to speak, but found that he couldn't say nothing as he was suddenly blinded by the wetness in his eyes. Before he knew it, he was at her side, yanking her forcefully from Tony's arms and into his. He didn't care if the others saw his tears but he cried and he cried hard, burying his face into her hair, praying to any deity that she would be alright.

In the end, he didn't have to care, if he had looked around the jet, he would have noticed the happy tears yet pained expression on everyone's face.

Sky was back, but at what costs?

* * *

 **Hope you all liked it. Barely got this chapter out before the day was done. But I did!**

 **See you next Sunday!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Soo….this is a long chapter, not that long but long enough. I barely got it up to you in time, had a ton of family emergencies and double shifts this week, so it's been a little crazy on my side. I'm actually surprised I got this up at all.**

 **Hope you all like it!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own any Marvel characters, though I wish I did.**

* * *

5 days later…

Immediately after landing, Dr. Cho was brought in from Korea to treat Sky of any injuries she may have sustained. Tony didn't hold back at any expense, giving his cousin the full treatment that would usually cost someone thousands to pay for. Her stomach was sealed up completely thanks to Dr. Cho's newest invention that replaced tissue cells to reconstruct injuries. She only held a new scar across her stomach that cut across her belly button. Aside from that injury, she also had a head injury that no one had noticed until a later time, scaring the crap out of basically everyone, along with a broken wrist and punctured lung. She had obviously gone through hell while with them.

Steve never left her side after Dr. Cho gave the okay on visitors into Sky's guest room. Everyone came and went throughout the day, but Steve kept his seat beside her, gently holding her uninjured hand in his, his eyes continuously staring at her face, waiting for even the lightest movement. At first, Steve had fought the urge to glance down her frame at the litter of new scars that covered her once untouched form. They were everywhere and anytime he found a new one, a new wave of anger shot through him. He wanted to kill them. He wanted to dig their already dead bodies up and kill them repeatedly. She didn't deserve this, any of this. Tears filled his eyes at the thought. He bit down into his bottom lip, attempting to suppress the sob wanting to break through and instead leaned forward, burying his face against her hand and silently cried into it. This was all his fault.

The moment he knew she was alright, Tony didn't wait another second and took Thor with him, heading back to where they had found Sky. Luckily for them, when they showed up at the demolished site, they had run across a few soldiers still kicking around. Thor wasted no time, not even waiting for Tony to land the jet and took off out the hatch, killing everyone in his way. Tony had been slightly upset that by the time the jet had set down, none were left alive.

* * *

"Has anyone asked why her hair is a different color?" Clint asked seriously from the corner of Sky's room. She had been well enough that Dr. Cho had approved of her being moved into an actual bedroom in the tower, specifically between Tony and Steve, just a few doors down from Clint and Tasha also. Tony had been annoyed at first, seeing as they all had but moved into his floor unwelcomed, saying something about wanting to be closer to the woman.

"Dr. Cho mentioned that it might have to do with the various experiments and torture they put her through. I mean, we don't know anything for sure, but it's pretty obvious to me that they did something to her." Bruce was the one to answer, though his voice was just above a whisper, his eyes whipping across the room in hesitation once said words left his lips. Few of them muttered curses at the thought of her going through such a thing, Thor going as far as punching a hole through one of her walls in pent up anger. Though she was not of his kin, he had never felt as close to her as he did another human. She was a special person to him, though he did not love her the same way the Captain did. He loved her like family. She was such a warm person, from the first moment he had met her.

* * *

 _Flashback:_

 _"_ _Oh. My. God, is that who I think it is?" She practically stumbled over her words as she marched down the hallway of the floating carrier towards a large bulging man standing just at the end, his eyes casted out onto the clouds they were slowly crawling over._

 _The woman next to her, glanced at her amused before snorting._

 _"_ _You and your fetish for gods." Maria's voice teased causing her to snort back as the pair of women came to a stop in the middle of the hallway._

 _"_ _Excuse me?" She perked a brow in interest, wondering what gave the woman that thought._

 _"_ _I'm pretty sure everyone knows your fetish for gods, do I have to pull up the incident with said god's brother, Loki?" Maria's brows lifted this time, mirth blowing through her orbs. Sky on the other hand, instantly glared at the woman, though she couldn't really disagree with her._

 _"_ _Pfft, that is water under the bridge. Not like anyone could blame me to begin with, Loki, in all his evilness was still hot as fuck." Sky crossed her arms over her chest, clucking her tongue in thought._

 _"_ _For the love of all that's holy, please don't tell me I just heard what I think I just heard." Sky's eyes shot over to the man approaching them, his hands shoved into the pockets of his pants, a look of mild horror crossing his features. She rolled her eyes, glancing over to see Maria glancing between the family members before grinning proudly._

 _"_ _Don't bother adding oil to the fire Hill, Tony's mind has a will of its own, you'll be doing no favors for anyone." She pushed her friendly gently, watching as she stumbled without much effort, smiling at them before heading back down the hall._

 _"_ _But seriously, you didn't have a real thing for the guy, did you?" Tony looked on the verge of gagging at the first sign of agreement from his cousin. Sky glanced at Tony amused by the look he was giving her before she shrugged innocently. She wouldn't give him the pleasure of hearing a definite answer from her._

 _"_ _Brother Stark." A booming voice pulled the pair from their personal conversation causing Sky's head to whip over quickly, almost completely giving her whiplash at how hard and fast she had turned to face the voice. Tony ripped his eyes from his cousin before smiling slightly at the approaching man._

 _"_ _Pointbreak!" Tony boomed back with equal enthusiasm though she could clearly point out it was easily forced. Thor smiled at the much smaller man before patting him hard on the back, sending Tony stumbling face first into her chest. She muttered curses of surprise under her breath before she shoved her cousin off of her and into the wall beside them._

 _"_ _Wow….I didn't expect them to be soo…." Tony began making an offhanded comment only to shut his trap by her threatening glare._

 _"_ _If you value your life or those of your future off-spring, don't bother finishing that sentence." She threatened under her breath as she adjusted the bullet proof vest she had been wearing._

 _"_ _Ah, this must be the lovely Lady Skylar I have heard so much about." Thor's voice sent a shudder of excitement through her form as she glanced over surprised that the god had even known her. She hadn't much time to introduce herself or even meet the god with everything that went down in New York with his brother, seeing as she had been under Loki's control for most of it then recovering for the other half._

 _"_ _And you must be 'Pointbreak'. Tony has not stopped talking about you or the fact that you wear your mother's drapes." She answered back, surprised when Thor laughed in understanding to that little side joke._

 _"_ _And it seems my brother was right about you." Thor added with a giant smile, though he own faltered a bit at the mention of the gods brother._

 _"_ _I hope only good things." She couldn't help the teasing banter that slipped out of her mouth without any thought. Thor laughed once more, not noticing the way her face shot between various expressions before settling on something neutral._

 _"_ _Ah, yes, my brother was very eccentric about you Lady Skylar. He has told me much about you on our trip back to Asgard and even went as far as asking me to keep watch over you while I am here on Midgard." Okay, so that completely caught both her and Tony off guard._

 _"_ _Why would that lunatic want you to keep an eye on Sky? She's quite capable of taking care of her own self?!" Tony all but jumped at the earliest opportunity to be the protective cousin he was beginning to be. Sky couldn't help but stare, slightly surprised at the god's confession before clearing her throat. She hadn't remembered much under Loki's control, though from time to time, small memories or what she figured to be memories would pop up in her head or dreams, almost seeming too fake to be real. As evil as Loki had been to Earth, there were various things that she would slowly remember the god saying or doing on her behalf, things that even the most evil of people would never do if they truly were that evil._

 _"_ _It would seem that Lady Skylar was the reason that my brother had given up in the end. I would thank you, with all my being for what you did Lady Skylar. I may not have my brother completely back, but he is safe away from hurting anyone more because of you." Thor's soft eyes sent a look of surprise through her once neutral expression before Tony threw his hands up in defeat._

 _"_ _Well, I'm just going to leave, maybe attempt to burn the images that are now running through my head. Maybe pour some Clorox into my ears too." Tony announced loudly in defeat, turning on his heels to head in the opposite direction away from them._

 _Since it was a rare day that the newly assembled Avengers were free to do as they pleased, Sky found it surprising when the god, that she had just met moments ago, spent practically most of the day speaking to her about Asgard. She on the other hand, could not find the need to stop him as she found herself so deeply emerged in his stories, that she even had a difficult time telling him to stop long enough for her to have a bathroom break._

 _Once she was relieved of herself, he went back to telling her of his war stories before he quickly turned around to ask her the same._

 _"_ _Ah, my back story isn't as interesting as yours." She laughed shamelessly as they ducked out of a hallway and into another._

 _"_ _It pretty much centers around losing my parents, reconnecting with Tony, joining the Avengers initiative and then being abducted by your brother. See, nothing spectacular." She gestured with a small smile, though it didn't reach her eyes like her previous smiles did._

 _"_ _Lady Skylar, it would seem I have yet to apologize for what my brother may have done to you while under his control." Thor's apology sent their conversation screeching to a sudden stop as she turned to look at him surprised._

 _"_ _Why would you need to apologize? It was his doing, not yours." She shook her head, looking at him intently as his eyes bore into her own._

 _"_ _When we arrived back in Asgard, Loki confessed that he had every intention of making you rule beside him had he succeeded in his plan. He said that the humanity and strength that you showed him, even while under his control was something that intrigued him on different levels. Though under his control, you still had a mind of your own though your will to do what you wanted was lost to the power of the tesseract." Thor explained as she stared at him in thought, the various memories that she held of her capture, rolling through her mind like a projector._

 _"_ _I still do not see why you have to apologize on his behalf." Sky brushed off the confession once more, hazels never moving from his blues._

 _"_ _Because, it was 'my' brother that made you hurt those that you care about. Lady Romanoff was kind enough in filling me in on what you did you her, Brother Barton and Lady Hill." Thor explained with a hurt expression._

 _"_ _Though my brother found humanity in you and also cared for you more than you know, it was I that led him to take such a drastic path to gain our father's attention." Thor hung his head briefly, giving her enough time to stare at him in surprise by hearing that the god's sibling held some sort of feelings for her._

 _Skylar stood there for a moment more, attempting to collect hr thoughts before she stepped forward, placing a caring hand on his shoulder, gaining his attention._

 _"_ _Don't let your brother's situation hang over you like a red flag, Thor. It was of his choice, whether you fed it or not, it was obviously something that he had been planning for some time. Don't let something like that drown you in regret because it was far from your fault." She kindly explained, her surprisingly soft eyes taking his in._

 _"_ _Even though Tony and my situation is largely different from yours and Loki, I know that you didn't intend for any of this to happen, it just sorta did. Yeah, Loki obviously had some inferiority issues, but the youngest sibling usually always does, even here on Earth. So you can't take the blame for something like that." She shrugged uncaring as she stared at her boots._

 _She glanced up to see Thor deeply lost in his thoughts and softly sighed, scanning his form briefly, thinking up a way to change the course of their once enjoyable conversation._

 _"_ _I won't hold any of it against you as long as you let me take a try at that hammer of yours. I've been dying to try and lift it." Suddenly the serious air around them dissipated as she slipped in one of her snarky comments sending the gods face soaring into the clouds. A grin split across her features before Thor broke out laughing, his booming voice echoing through the empty hallway before his heavy arm landed heavily onto her shoulders._

 _"_ _Aye Lady Skylar, whatever you wish, I will do everything in my power to make it happen." Thor couldn't help but think that though his brother was, as Tony had put it, a lunatic, he couldn't help but agree that Loki had great taste in Midgardian women._

 _Skylar was something else._

 _End of Flashback:_

* * *

"Did anyone get in touch with Fury and Maria about this?" Natasha then asked from her seat beside Sky, her eyes glancing around the room.

"Fury knows. He should be here within the next day or so." Steve surprised everyone by answering her question, though he didn't meet anyone's eyes. It was the most anyone had gotten out of him since they had returned with Sky 2 weeks ago. He didn't converse with anyone for more than a few seconds, he never left her room, even going as far as showering and sleeping in her room.

Fury showed up the day after demanding to know what had happened before he was showed to Sky's room. Even he stood in the doorway, staring at the woman's unconscious form speechless. They had found her. Once they filled him in on what had happened at the base, to finding Sky, her injuries along with a few other things that Dr. Cho had warned them about, Fury marched out of the room and left without a second glance. What Fury had planned to do now that he knew, no one knew.

At the end of week 2, Sam, Scarlett and Vision returned from a mission in Africa, all 3 cluttering into the room that the Avengers had taken refuge in. Though Scarlett and Vision were not as close to the woman as the others, they were glad to see that she had been returned to them in one piece. Sam, glanced over at his friend hunched over the side of the bed, his eyes never leaving the woman's face. He felt for his friend. Placing a comforting hand on Steve's shoulder, he gave the man a silent show of comfort before leaving the room to rest from the trip.

That was 2 weeks ago, marking Sky being home and unconscious for a month now, something that both Bruce and Dr. Cho mentioned were normal in her state. Her body needed to rest and so did her mind. They didn't know what sort of things she went through, which could also explain why she hadn't awoken yet.

Today the room was filled with everyone aside from Scarlett who had taken a quick trip to Sokovia to visit her home. Everyone silently sat around the room, it being their day off, like usual, they spent their time with her, hoping for the best. The only sounds that filled the room being the beeping of the heart monitor that Dr. Cho had moved into the room along with the sound of cards being shuffled as Natasha and Clint continued to teach Thor how to play Midgardian card games.

Steve rubbed the bridge of his nose, shutting his eyes briefly before he felt a sudden twitch beneath his hands. Eyes wide, he glanced down at her hand in his and then back up to her face that still had not moved. He didn't want to get his hope up, but he had sworn he felt her move.

"Go fish." Thor's soft voice boomed from behind him as Steve watched her intently. That's when he saw it, a twitch of her brow.

"Hey." Steve slowly stood, gathering the attention of those in the room.

"What's going on?" Clint was on his feet in seconds, getting to the other side of the bed as he glanced at the paper work slowly being slipped out of the heart monitor machine.

"She moved." Steve answered with a hopeful smile, grabbing her free hand in both his, holding it up to his lips. At his words, everyone was around her bed, staring at her intently.

"Are you sure Gramps?" Tony asked, a hopeful tinge to his words.

"I'm sure. Her hand moved in mine then her face." He explained in defense as everyone got quiet, waiting for her to move once more.

Everyone stood there for a few minutes, nothing happened.

"I don't see anything." Tasha broke the silence while glancing at everyone's face, the hope they had earlier, long gone.

"Steve, bodies are known to twitch even when in its unconscious state. It's the nerves in her body." Bruce explained gently from the opposite side of the bed, watching as Steve collapsed back into his seat, his face still buried in her hand.

He was beginning to lose hope.

* * *

 **Okay, so I had a crazy week that I barely got this out in time. I've been working back to back this week then one of my aunts had a stroke on Wednesday so I've been shuffling back and forth from the hospital all this time. I'm sorry if the chapter didn't turn out how you expected, but on my side, I felt this chapter was needed, especially the flashback with Thor. Hope you liked it. No flames please.**


	6. Chapter 6

**So…I've been sick. Shocker. First woke up on Thursday with a nasty cold, woke up Friday with body aches and pains and then woke up this morning with a fever. From where this sickness is going, I'm almost positive I'll be bent over a toilet sometime in the next 24 hours /sobs/ I hate the flu.**

 **But on that note, I figured, while I was still conscious I would whip up this chapter and have it updated early since chances are, I'll be bedridden come the morning. /sighs/ I hope you guys like it.**

 **Keep an eye out for my offer at the bottom of this chapter. Looking for your lovely input!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Marvel or any of its characters.**

Pain. That's all that she could feel. Pain layering on pain. She wanted to claw at her head, claw at her arms and stomach. Everything hurt. Everything burned. She knew what that meant. They were experimenting on her again. She could feel the needles driving into her skin while their drills dug deeper into her bones. She wanted to cry out and scream, fight them off but she couldn't move. Her body felt like lead.

That's when she heard it.

 _Sky_.

A voice whispered beyond the darkness, a voice she didn't recognize though it sent a pinch of familiarity through her chest to her heart. Somehow, she knew that voice.

No. They were playing her again. Like they always did. What were they doing to her this time? She could feel a liquid like lava flowing into her veins sending her body convulsing though she knew it wasn't physically moving. She opened her mouth to scream out, beg them to stop, do anything to get them to stop the pain, but her voice was lost on the wind.

 _Sky, can you hear me_?

The voice got a bit louder as she began using it as an anchor. Somehow, she knew that voice, it made her feel safe, feel complete, something she hadn't felt in months. Then she felt it. Softness. Warmth. Something she never remembered feeling with Hydra. It was always metal, coldness, dirt, pain, but not here. She could briefly smell something that reminded her of gingersnaps and rain. What is a gingersnap? She quickly asked herself, her mind beginning to thump as she searched for answers.

Where was she?

With Hydra of course. Where else would she be?

No one cared about her. She had no friends or family, no one to call her own. No one to save her from the pain inflicted on her on a daily basis. They must have drugged her again, that was the only explanation. They were doing tests on her again. Attempting to see what else her body could withstand before finally snapping.

Wait. She thought.

How did she know this voice? How did she know this scent?

Sky? Who's Sky? That wasn't her. Was it? Yes, that was her name. No. Her name was Raven. Or at least that's what they had been calling her for months.

 _Sky, wake up. Please._

The voice begged this time almost pushing her to answer it. For some reason she felt warmth at the sound of the voice, though she couldn't place it completely. Why would she feel anything for someone of Hydra? All they did was use her, abuse her, push her, and force her to do their bidding. Though she could only remember going out of the base once, something about testing her new abilities as she remembered.

She could still vaguely remember the sound of a child screaming as she stared at him, her mind doing things to the child's own before he stopped all of a sudden. She stared at him, watching the blank expression crawl across his features before her eyes glanced over to one of the agents that accompanied her, looking at the knife that he held out to her. She could feel excitement flood her nerves at the thought of the kill, glancing at the boy once more before the knife went flying straight and true, landing with a dull thud in the middle of the boy's forehead. She watched satisfied as the boy's body collapsed unmoving in front of her, her blade protruding from the back of his skull.

 _"Very good Raven." The voice of Hydra's leader proudly added from behind her._

She felt bile rise in her throat, the thought of killing an innocent young child twisting her insides uncomfortably. He had been in the wrong place at the wrong time when she had been out searching for a random kill. She still remembered reading about the child's death in the newspaper the next day, a proud feeling fluttering through her chest as they named it a murder.

No. She wasn't like that. This wasn't her.

 _Sky. Please. I'm begging you._

The voice entered her mind once more, pushing at her consciousness. The pain returned 10 fold, almost completely knocking the breath from her as her eyes finally shot open to a bright ceiling above her.

Before she could reel in her surroundings, pain shot up her spine to her skull worse than ever. The feeling of someone hitting her repeatedly in the head with a sledgehammer before crystal clear memories of the boy she killed coming to the forefront of her mind.

She had killed him. She murdered an innocent child. She was a murderer, a killer.

Steve had been startled away from her when she felt her arms stiffen, his eyes lifting up to see her eyes opened wide, staring at the ceiling in a daze. He shot up before he could register anything and had his hands on either side of her cheek, calling out to her. Everyone ran over at the Captain's flip of personality and stared in shock and wonder to the awoken woman. Bruce barely caught Tony's pushing to the door, an obvious hint to go get the actual doctor before Tony was at her other side.

"Sky! Sky! Can you hear us?" Tony called out loudly, ignoring the fact that Steve was practically hovering over her in tears. She didn't answer and continued to stare at the ceiling, her eyes completely looking through them.

"Sky! Can you hear us? Squeeze my hand if you can." Clint added back in a panic, reaching to the hand Steve had been holding for practically the entire month, giving it a gentle squeeze to show her what he meant.

She didn't move. She didn't blink.

Just as Steve was about to resort to shaking her as gently as he could muster at the moment, he watched the color briefly change in her eyes before she let out a blood curdling scream. Everyone shot their hands naturally to their ears before she shot up, an unnatural pulse shooting off her form and at each member, tossing them away like a piece of paper. Thor was thrown completely out the glass window, the contents shattering upon contact while Natasha soon followed with a surprised yelp as she barely caught the ledge of the window. Clint, Steve, Tony, Sam and Vision shot into opposite walls, some of them going completely through the wall at the force she threw them.

Thor quickly helped Natasha back into the building and into safety while Steve and Vision pulled themselves from the rubble, Tony and Clint holding their various injuries in pain. Everyone stared around the room in concern as the woman continued to scream, holding her head between her hands and in her knees. Steve wasted no time and ran over to her once more, ignoring the pain in his back as he grabbed her arms, pulling her hands free of her ears.

"Sky! It's me Steve!" He shouted over her screaming as she shot a hand out, easily tossing him without touching him. Thor barely caught the flying man before he was launched out the window. Quickly everyone looked to Vision who nodded his head in understanding and walked over, quickly pressing his fingertips to her skull. She stopped screaming immediately and melted into Visions arms. Ignoring everyone's concerned and worried stares, Steve ran over and took Sky from the AI's arms, carefully placing her back into the bed as Bruce and Dr. Cho rounded the corner.

Both doctors' eyes shot around the room, assessing the damage before looking to each member to see that they had sustained some sort of injury in the last minute Bruce had been gone. But before Bruce could ask what had happened, Tony was marching towards Bruce and Dr. Cho.

"Can that machine of yours do a brain scan for anomalies?" Tony rushed while Dr. Cho stared at him in mild surprise.

"What sort of anomalies are you referring to?" She stuttered out as Tony wiped his split lip onto the back of his hand.

"Anything out of the normal, anywhere in her body, possibly her brain." He called back as he marched out of the room with new determination on his step.

"I'll go see what Tony needs." Dr. Cho quickly excused herself before Bruce looked back at the room.

"What the hell happened? Wasn't she awake just a moment ago?" He asked confused as Thor marched past him and out the door without a second glance.

"Sky just threw us like rag dolls without even looking at us." Clint bluntly admitted as Bruce tilted his head a bit, attempting to register what the man had said.

"Vision can you sense anything?" Steve sounded desperate as everyone approached the bed once more, watching as vision continued to stare down at the woman lying in front of him.

"These men have put something in her." Vision explained in seriousness, his eyes never leaving her face.

"Something? Do you know what it is?" Natasha rushed while Vision shook his head.

"It is hard to tell. I am getting a sense of many different toxins and chemicals. Most that I have no recollection of." He admitted as Steve fell back in his seat suddenly woozy.

"Vision, I think it best you follow me back to Tony and tell us exactly what it is you sense in her." Bruce then pressed while the AI glanced over at him and nodded.

"Very well. Excuse me." He announced to the room softly before following the door out and down the hallway.

When they finally found her, they felt like took a couple steps in the right direction to the life they had before Hydra stepped in the door all those months ago. But now that Skylar had awoken and confirmed all their deepest darkest worries about her condition, it was now a thousand steps backwards into the disturbed reality they were working hard to deny.

They had changed her.

 **So, how was it? Good, I hope. I'm actually debating on what to do with Skylar's mind at this point of the story. I've been rebounding back and forth between having her memories completely swiped or having it so that she still held some memory of them, yet tattered and incomplete.**

 **Feel free to send your input with that one. I know a lot of folks had mentioned, well hoped that I didn't do it like Bucky's mind-swept episode but for some reason, I'm drawn to the new slate type Skylar, though allowing her to have some memory of these people in her life, yet finding it hard to trust anyone once again, would also be interesting.**

 **Maybe having her go back and forth from not remembering to remembering? Hmmmm…**

 **I'll see you all you lovely readers next Sunday!**


	7. Chapter 7

**So, I'm honestly not completely proud of this chapter. For some reason, this chapter stressed me out beyond reason and to the point that I typed it out and erased it more times than I'm proud to admit lol. I wasn't completely sure how I was going to approach this particular part of the story but settled for this one.**

 **I had been planning to post it earlier in the day but my family surprised me and took me to see CIVIL WAR for Mother's Day. Seriously, BEST MOTHERS DAY GIFT EVER! Lmao. Civil War was as amazing as I knew it was going to be so I'm pushing you all to see it, if you haven't already.**

 **Just fair warning, take tissue. An entire box if you can. Two words. Emotional rollercoaster.**

 **Anyways, I have another request from you all at the end of the chapter, so be sure to check that out.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Marvel**

* * *

Once again, she was swimming in the darkness that her body was now becoming clearly comfortable with. She wasn't sure if she wanted to wake up from whatever induced daze she was in or to continue attempting to maneuver her way through in silence. Surprisingly, what felt like the first time in as long as her memory could serve her, she wasn't in pain. She wasn't cold, she was warm, she was comfortable, and she felt safe. When had she ever felt safe? Never. She never felt safe with Hydra. At that thought, it only continued to set her off guard as she had only remembered ever being cold, in pain, starving, hungry with them. She didn't know anything past that.

Though she was unsure why she suddenly felt this way, her eyes slowly peeled open, a fuzzy vision of dim lights shining down on her, not dim enough seeing as she still squinted from the brightness that she wasn't use to. Her eyes blinked a few more times, adjusting to the soft lighting before a cream brown ceiling met her attention. One more thing to add to the list of confusion racking up in her mind.

That was new. Hydra only ever had white. White on white. White tile on white walls. White cells. Everything was white, but not the clean white. It was the kind of white that was clearly covered in years of habitation and use. More specifically blood and death. Just that thought alone, a shiver ran down her spine, sparking the various points of pain that she could now feel on herself. Ow. Okay, now that feeling was a bit more familiar territory.

She shut her eyes momentarily, squeezing them together when a soft spike of pain in her right temple began to grow from the dim thump it was just as she opened her eyes. Attempting to lift her hand to touch her head, panic flooded through her previously comfortable and safe state as she found her hand to be constricted in something warm. When that hand didn't move and only helped to further allow whatever was holding her down to hold on tighter, she decided against all odds to lift the other hand only to be met by a cast that covered from mid-forearm all the way up to her hand.

A cast. A blue cast.

"Sky! Skylar!" A voice yanked her from her daze as her eyes began to widen at the sight of a cast on her hand. Sure, she had experienced more broken bones that she would love to avoid admitting while in the hands of Hydra, but this was something she wasn't completely sure on how to handle. Even with broken limbs and bloody wounds, the furthest Hydra went to 'assist' and 'heal' them was making makeshift slings out of soiled sheets or telling her to 'walk it off, it could be worse'. A cast was something she never had the fortune to have.

"Sky. Hey, come on. Look at me doll." The same voice now begged as a hand was carefully placed on her injured one, a face slowly coming into focus on her right side now.

That face. She knew that face. But where? The blonde hair, deep blue eyes, chiseled face, broad shoulders. This man, she knew him. But from where? She winced silently as a memory of this particular man blinked through her mind, unmoving photos that she couldn't piece together began to flood her mind.

"Sky, look at me. You're alright. You're safe." The man continued to push as he glanced off in the opposite direction, nodding before his eyes met hers once more.

Her heart was telling her to reach out and grab this man, hold him tightly in her arms and never let go, but her mind was on high alert. A dull pain beginning to grow in the back of her mind as his blue orbs continued to flash desperately across her face, almost silently begging her to answer him just so he could hear her voice.

"Sky, baby, look at me sweetheart. Can you hear me?" He then asked, a weight besides her pulling her from her thoughts as her eyes quickly whipped down to see him now sitting beside her. Red, white and blue. His suit. She knew that suit. She knew that suit from somewhere.

She dug in her mind determined to place this man with a memory, any memory just to give herself piece of mind but found that any particular memory regarding this man continued to flutter out of reach. Just as she was about to grab hold of what she hoped was a memory of this man, she watched in pain as that same memory slipped out of reach and continued to dance, almost mockingly in the distances of her mind.

"Sky!" Voices shouted happily from the other side of the room sending her brown eyes shooting over in suspicion and hesitation.

These people. Did she know them? Were they Hydra?

No. It couldn't be. They couldn't be. They were smiling. Two of them almost looked to be on the brink of blowing up in tears while the other was smiling from ear to ear. Had she ever seen a Hydra agent or doctor smile? Now that she thought about it, no. She had never seen anyone there smile, ever. Even when something they considered good happened, no expression.

They couldn't be Hydra then. No.

One of the women quickly approached the bed, everyone watching on the edge of their seats as Skylar flinched, her body almost retracting as the woman reached out for her.

The female assassin froze her hand mid-air, quickly noticing the look of unfamiliarity crossing her features before she immediately retracted her hand.

Natasha made briefly eye contact with Steve who was still holding Sky's injured hand in his before peering over her shoulder at the other 2 males standing in the doorway. How bad did Hydra break her? Flinching was enough for them to pinpoint how far they went. Dr. Cho was right.

 _Flashback:_

 _"_ _So, what you're saying is there is a possibility that Skylar may have some mental damage that you are unsure of?" Steve then asked in defense as the entire Avengers group stood silently around Dr. Cho's working space that was temporarily set up in Tony's lab. Dr. Cho on the other hand sighed, continuing to glance at the brain scans that she was able to retrieve while Sky was still unconscious._

 _"_ _I 'am' saying it's a possibility. There is a lot of swelling and damage from what I can see and from what I know, many patients with that degree of injury almost always suffer from some type of mental effects such as headaches, dizziness, fatigue, depression, irritability, physical limitations and memory problems." Dr. Cho listed them off, briefly meeting Tony's eyes which were hooded with dark bags from days without sleep._

 _"_ _Memory problems? Like amnesia?" Clint then asked from his perch, his heart beginning to thud loudly in his chest at the news._

 _"_ _Yes, it is likely though we won't know how true that is till she's conscious once more." Dr. Cho glanced at each person in defeat, knowing how important this woman was to each of them, she couldn't help but feel sympathy from the news she had to give them. Especially Steve._

 _She met his eyes last, his eyes completely staring through her and into space, where unshed tears laid balanced on his long lashes. She knew, out of everyone, he was the one that was taking it the hardest._

 _Natasha chewed into her cheek before turning her head towards Rogers. Amnesia. If Skylar woke up, forgetting him, she knew that would be the lowest blow to his already tottering sanity. Not only did his best friend basically come back from the dead after 70 years but the man didn't even remember Steve. She still could remember how depressed Steve had got when he learned what had truly happened to Bucky. This was a horrible repeat to that event, one she wouldn't wish on anyone._

 _"_ _So what do you suggest Doc?" Tony asked on edge, his fidgeting was now becoming a scheduled routine after they retrieved Skylar._

 _"_ _There is not much to do but wait and see what happens once she wakes up. There is no guarantee that she will awake with amnesia, but I would suggest you all be prepared just incase." She softly added, not wanting to completely shatter the hope she knew this group had for the woman's completely healthy return._

 _"_ _What about the 'tricks' she showed us back up in the room? I mean, she's like Wanda." Clint gestured over to the woman who had been silently standing behind everyone._

 _Everyone was silent at that comment, after learning about the damage her mind went through, they had momentarily forgotten about what had happened after she had awoken. Dr. Cho on the other hand, pulled out a different brain scan that showed a colored version of a brain scan._

 _"_ _That is one thing I cannot fully explain." She admitted as she held up the scan for everyone to see._

 _"_ _The average person is commonly said to only use about 10% of your brain. This part here." She gestured to a part of the brain that was lit up blue. Everyone stepped a bit closer in interest, watching intently as the Doctor continued to explain her findings before Steve stepped in._

 _"_ _But the rest of her brain is lit up in red." Steve's small voice shook slightly as he pointed out something he wasn't sure was good or bad. Dr. Cho met his eyes and hesitantly nodded in confirmation._

 _"_ _Yes, that is right. From what both myself and Dr. Banner could conclude is, whatever these people did to her, awakened her ability to use almost 90% of her brain." Dr. Cho had been surprised when she first got the scan of Skylar's head. She had never seen a brain as active and alive as hers._

 _"_ _90%? That's impossible." Tony quickly denied the doctors findings, shaking his head as he began to pace once more._

 _"_ _Actually, it's not as impossible as we originally thought. It is possible on rare occasions but Sky's case is extremely rare. We've never seen a minds activity like hers." Bruce slipped off his glasses, approaching the table Dr. Cho had been working from and picked up the scan, staring intently at it._

 _"_ _So, what does that mean? Should we be worried?" Clint then asked, his eyes easily showing how scared he was beginning to feel though his question was drowned out by Sam's question._

 _"_ _So, if I've watched enough tv, if she's using a lot more brain capacity than the normal human, does that make her telepathic or something?" Sam asked from beside Steve, almost startling the man that hadn't even known his friend was standing beside him the entire time._

 _"_ _She is." Wanda was the one to answer for the doctors. All eyes were quickly on her now._

 _"_ _Did you see something?" Steve pushed as the younger woman nodded from beside a silent Vision._

 _"_ _When I saw inside her head, the amount of energy pulsating through it was nothing like I felt before. I have no doubt that her abilities are the outcome of their experimentation on her mind." She added, her accent mixing together with her words._

 _"_ _Perfect." Tony threw up his arms, turning on his heels and marching away. If his cousin's body wasn't already in bad enough shape, let's add mental abuse to the list._

 _End of Flashback:_

Steve swallowed heavily at the look of fear that crossed Skylar's face as she stared at her best friend like she grew a second head. Out of all the Avengers, aside from him, he knew Natasha meant the world to Skylar. There was no way she'd forget someone like Natasha or even Tony, but that theory was shot down when Skylar's eyes met Tony's with equal apprehension. She didn't know them. Dr. Cho was right about the amnesia.

Who was he kidding? They had done the same to Bucky. Thinking his best friend had died 70 plus years ago, only to run across his last year to see that the friend he had loved like a brother, no longer knew who he was. First Bucky and now Skylar. He wasn't sure how much more of this it would take before he finally cracked.

Seeing as he was slowly beginning to lose himself to the last string of nerve he was hanging from, he was yanked from his thoughts when her injured fingers briefly gripped his hand. His eyes snapped up from her hand to see that she was still staring at the 3 other's, trying to get a read on them, clearly she didn't know she was gripping his hand.

Steve then briefly met Natasha's eye, a silent warning that she was about to do something that he wasn't completely sure was the smart way to go.

"Skylar, do you know us?" Natasha asked as Sky's eyes scanned the woman's features.

When she didn't answer, said woman gestured to the large empty spot beside her, silently pointing out that she was about to sit down and did as such. Naturally, Skylar's grip on Steve's hand grew unconsciously before she sat up and pressed her back against the headboard, quietly begging the wood to swallow her whole.

"We don't know what's happened to you but you know us, Skylar. You've known most of us your whole life." Natasha carefully pressed, her eyes never wavering from Skylar's suspicious ones.

"What about this? Do you recognize this?" Natasha then asked as a terrified thud rippled through her heart. At the question, she pulled up the sleeve of her coat to show Skylar a beautiful silver charm bracelet that hung from her wrist.

Skylar's eyes quickly glanced down at the sound of something jingling to see a beautiful piece of jewelry sitting on the woman's wrist. Everyone held their breaths as Skylar's eyes seemed to slowly take in the bracelet, her eyes quickly whipping back and forth from trinket to trinket before landing on the teal butterfly that was obviously bigger than any of the other ones.

Butterfly. That was hers.

Shutting her eyes tightly as a ripple of pain shot through her head, she lifted her uninjured hand to cradle her bandaged forehead as a vision of the woman's sitting in front of her began to fill her head.

 _Flashback:_

 _"_ _I still don't know what you see in the guy." Natasha teased with a pleased smirk._

 _"_ _Hey, when you fell in love with Banner, you didn't hear me poking at you." Skylar quickly defended as she continued to reload the clip of her gun. Natasha on the other hand snorted from the stall beside her._

 _"_ _I don't fall in love, if you haven't forgotten. Adore is a better word." Natasha answered seriously sending Skylar's eyes rolling._

 _"_ _Yeah, sure, okay, I'll play along." Skylar peeked around the stall wall into her friends shooting range to wiggle her brows teasingly only setting the assassin off._

 _"_ _You're a bitch, you know that?" Natasha spat as Skylar pulled back into her stall, throwing her head back laughing._

 _"_ _Yeah, but that's one of my best qualities. You love me for it." She answered back proudly as she snapped her clip back into her gun._

 _"_ _You know, its times like these when I remember you're a Stark." Natasha added sarcastically as both women unloaded their newly loaded clips into the targets 30 yards down each lane._

 _"_ _So, really, what do you see in the guy? When I pictured you falling for a dude, I was picturing the more 'bad boy' persona, not America's Golden Boy. Don't get me wrong, Steve's a great guy, I just never imagined out of everyone, you'd pick him." Natasha added back as she pressed the button on her stall wall to retrieve her target._

 _"_ _What can I say? I'm a sap for the innocent types." Skylar couldn't help but shrug as she slipped the empty clip back out._

 _"_ _So, what's the plan then? Need me to set you two up or did you have something already up your devious sleeves?" Natasha stepped out of her stall and leaned on the corner of Skylar's one, watching as the woman in question began to fiddle with the stack of bullets._

 _"_ _Nope, no plans. I'm almost positive it's just an infatuation. No biggie. Plus, I'm pretty sure the dude still has the hots for his first love, Peggy." Skylar shrugged, wanting to come off as uncaring on the current topic, but seriously, who was she fooling? Not Natasha._

 _"_ _Yeah, well, I believed that as much as I believe Tony is the virgin mary sent down to earth to save us." Her friend sarcastically joked sending Skylar snickering as she turned to face her friend._

 _"_ _If that were true, the apocalypse would have already come and gone." Skylar laughed out, crossing her arms over her chest before she leaned her backside against the counter._

 _"_ _Exactly. So stop lying because you're only fooling yourself. I've noticed the way you act around him. You're different around him. It's a little refreshing." Natasha admitted with a smile while Skylar narrowed her eyes._

 _"_ _You've been spying on me again?" She accused as Natasha rolled her eyes._

 _"_ _We've lived in the same building for years. We're basically around each other all the time, I don't think it's considered spying as much as observing." Natasha brushed off her accusation._

 _Skylar continued to narrow her eyes, digging around in her mind for a witty comeback only to come out emptyhanded._

 _"_ _I hate you." She answered lightheartedly, turning back to her gun to continued filling it, hoping Tasha would drop the subject as she laughed behind her. Fat chance._

 _"_ _Just tell him, make his day. It's not everyday some hot girl confesses to him as Steve Rogers and not Captain America. He might surprise you." Natasha pressured as Skylar snapped the clip back in with a little more force than needed._

 _"_ _Ha. Yeah right. I've confessed before, not something I'd like to experience ever again." Skylar shivered at the embarrassing memory before holding her gun out._

 _"_ _Yeah, but you have to remember, this isn't just some random guy, it's Steve." Natasha added once Skylar's clip was empty once again._

 _"_ _And I'm a Stark, well, by blood anyways. He's this innocent, good natured, kind hearted guy and I'm this, sassy, stubborn, out spoken woman that doesn't know when to shut her mouth. I rather not taint someone like him." Skylar hadn't meant to confess something like that, but once she had realized what she had said, she sighed out in defeat, knowing she couldn't take it back._

 _Tasha on the other hand, stared at the back of her friend in mild surprise, knowing the woman had a long lived crush on the man but never knew why she hadn't attempted to indulge herself, even just a little. But now she knew. She was afraid. She thought Steve deserved better than her._

 _"_ _Sky." Natasha called, stepping closer to the woman to see she was fiddling with the teal butterfly trinket on her bracelet._

 _"_ _You don't realize how wrong you are. How good of a person you really are. Don't sell yourself short." Natasha whispered as she wrapped an arm around her friends shoulder._

 _"_ _I'm not selling myself short, I'm just setting myself up for failure in the end." Skylar muttered back annoyed, not liking the direction this conversation was taking as she shrugged out of her friends arms and finally stepped out of stall._

 _"_ _I'm supposed to be meeting with Fury. I'll see you later Tash." Skylar didn't even bother turning back to look at the woman before she quickly marched out of the shooting range and into the elevator._

 _End of Flashback:_

The vision or memory had faded away as quickly as it had appeared, the pain that came with it was softly beginning to thump away in the far reaches of her head. When she had finally come to and peeled her eyes opened, she was met with the worried and concerned faces of those she know remembered.

"Sky, doll, come on, are you okay? Are you in pain?"

"Sky, kid, come back to us."

"Should I call the doc?"

"Sky, answer me."

Their voices were flooding her mind along with their faces, faces she had knew all along.

Slowly tears began to fill her eyes as she looked at each and every one of them. Tony, her cousin. Natasha, her best friend. Sam, the love of her life's best friend before landing on the man sitting closest to her.

Steve.

Her eyes took in every inch of him, from the ruffled way his hair stuck up in various directions to the worried crinkles set on his forehead. She met his eyes last and noticed the dark bags hanging under his eyes, the exhausted look that she was only now picking up on.

Finally, her eyes landed on the red, white and blue suit and realization dawned in on why it had looked so familiar to her. She knew him.

She was in love with Captain America. How could she forget something like that? Someone like that?

The tears spilled down her cheeks as pain shot through her heart at the happiness that was now beginning to flood her system at finally being just 2 feet from him. She could faintly remember in the earlier days of her kidnapping, she had cried out his name relentlessly while they tortured her. She dreamed about him night after night till her memories began to drown with the pain of day by day experiments.

But now, she was back in Stark Tower, with her family and with him.

"Sky, I beg of you, please, say something." Tears were beginning to well up in Steve's eyes as he watched the tidal wave of various emotions pass across her face as she silently stared at him. He didn't know what to do or say since she had yanked her hand away from his just seconds before.

If she forgot him, he would never forgive himself though he wasn't planning on forgiving himself either way. Especially after Bucky. It would be the last nail in his coffin.

Steve desperately watched as tears began to spill from her own eyes causing the remaining pieces of his heart to crumble down into his stomach. He was afraid. Afraid to see fear on her face. Afraid to see confusion and unfamiliarity dance across her beautiful features.

But, it seemed fate had other ideas as she slowly opened her mouth, her lips moving with no sound briefly before a choked sob broke through with a name.

"Steve."

* * *

 **So, as I mentioned above, I'm not completely proud of this chapter. I had been bouncing back and forth with the plot a bit, trying to find something that I could work with and be proud of. I actually wrote this chapter over and over again about 5 times and still couldn't stick with something concrete.**

 **So, this time, since so many people replied to my last question, I want to ask if any of you out there would like to throw me a few plots that you think would fit? I'm not positive that I'll use any of them, but it would completely help get my creative juices flowing once more. I'd appreciate any opinions on plots that you would like to see. Chances are I might end up using them. Either PM or send me your opinions via review, I'd love to hear from you all.**

 **Like always, thank you for supporting my story!**

 **See you next Sunday!**


	8. Chapter 8

**So, I felt that I needed to add this filler chapter in here. It fit perfectly with the direction I have the story going in. A few flashbacks that I needed to pull out and a bit more info on what Skylar went through with Hydra.**

 **Enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Marvel.**

* * *

It has been 3 days since Skylar finally awoken from her unconscious state. Steve could still feel his heart thumping loudly in his chest at the memory of seeing her beautiful brown eyes filling with tears when she first awoke. He wasn't sure what to think but his mind was reeling in worry and terror, having thought that she had forgotten him just like Bucky did. He wasn't sure how he would have handled that, if he could at all. Almost positive he couldn't handle that.

Staring off the balcony of the Avenger's shared living quarters, his eyes staring at the view unblinking. Skylar was currently with Dr. Banner down in the lab, doing a few more tests to make sure that she was alright. But really, was she? Steve knew not to get his hopes up yet this was the woman he loved, the woman he would lay his life down for whenever need be, all he had was hope.

His grip on the metal railing of the balcony tightened ever so slightly as the memory of when she first awoke, thundered through his head. She was now an enhanced as they had once called Wanda and her brother. She was taken, a hard-headed trained agent only to return half the woman she had once been. Natasha had laid it on him when he had confessed that bit. She made sure to rip him a new one mentioning how lucky they were just to get her back in one piece, physically, especially considering Bucky's case.

He hung his head.

The two people that meant more to him then his life, he had let them down. Both of them.

Bucky was now on the run from SHIELD and about every known organization in the world while the woman he loved beyond reason was suffering because he couldn't save her. If this was some sick joke by the gods, he knew he deserved it. He didn't want this and neither did she.

 _"_ _How are you feeling today?" He asked as he took up his usual chair beside her bed. She smiled exhausted in his direction, her platinum hair fanned over the navy blue pillows piled under her back, helping to prop her up._

 _"_ _As good as I did yesterday." Her small voice answered, showing him how truly exhausted she really was though she tried not to show it. After having test after test done, Dr. Cho and Dr. Banner had informed Steve that her body was exhausted beyond her natural ability to cope. That whatever Hydra had done to her, they did it with the intention of running her bone dry. Even now, she was being pumped with blood that they were able to retrieve for her and resting as best as she could to gain back her strength._

 _"_ _You should rest then." He smiled back softly in her direction, reaching over to brush a stray hair from her face before resting his hand on her cheek. She chuckled lightly, leaning into his touch before pecking his hand._

 _"_ _Still such a worry wort." She teased lightly, smiling a bit brighter when she noticed the laugh crinkles forming at the corners of his eyes._

 _"_ _I have reason to be worried about you doll." He added back proudly, watching equally amused as her own laugh crinkles began to form._

 _"_ _I've missed you….soo much." She whispered, now looking at him seriously, her eyes panning over every inch of his face._

 _"_ _After the first month or so, I began to think I would never see you again." Her voice got soft while tears began to fill her eyes, spilling over onto the pillows._

 _"_ _Hey….shhhh, you're here now and safe. I'm not letting you out of my sight ever again, promise." Steve quickly stood from his seat, slipping beside her careful of the machines before wrapping his arm around his shoulder, pulling her to his chest. She let out a choked sob as her uninjured hand lifted up to grasp the front of his shirt, afraid that he would disappear if she didn't have any physical hold of him. Steve on the other hand, shut his eyes tightly in despair, burying his nose in her familiar scented hair before kissing the crown of her head._

 _He would burn the world to the ground if anything more happened to her._

 _It was quiet for some time as Steve held her gently to his chest, his hand rubbing up and down her arm._

 _"_ _We never stopped looking for you sweetheart. Never. We sought you out every day and night, every country and looked into every tie we could get our hands on. We searched endlessly for you." Steve whispered into her hair, feeling her grip on him tighten as he spoke._

 _"_ _I would never give up on you. Never. Even in death." He promised, planting his lips against the top of her head firmly._

 _"_ _I love you."_

 _"_ _I love you too." She tilted her head back, welcoming the familiar feeling of his soft lips against hers as he kissed her. Pulling away, he smiled down at her, caressing her cheek before resting his cheek atop her head._

 _Broken or not, this was the woman he was bound determined to spend the rest of his life with._

 _"_ _Steve?" Her soft voice perked up a few minutes into their silent sitting._

 _"_ _Hm?" He hummed, continuing to run his fingers through her soft hair._

 _"_ _My hair, do you hate it?" She whispered, the clear sound of self-consciousness obvious on her tone. Steve pulled away, glancing down at her in surprise._

 _"_ _You're hair?" He asked confused as she nodded, looking down to a platinum lock hanging down her shoulder. Steve watched as she fiddled with the lock before smiling as he kissed her forehead._

 _"_ _Platinum hair, white hair, pink hair, blue hair. Doesn't matter what color your hair is doll, I'd still love you more than life itself."_

He smiled slightly to himself as the memory of her worry about her hair color teased him. She had suddenly been so self-conscious about her hair color, that she had thought he would react badly to it. Honestly, she could be 100 pounds over weight with bright pink hair and he'd still think she was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. Chuckling, he glanced down at his shoes before peering back up at the scene. The things this woman made him feel.

Aside from that, he had been so angry when she finally was able to tell him what she could remember about her stay with Hydra. Originally Fury had intended to question her but neither Steve, Tony or Clint was having it. If they needed answers, they would send one of their own in to ask.

 _"_ _Every once in a while, I'm not sure how long in between sessions it was, they would place me in this chair with a metal helmet that came over the top." She lifted her uninjured hand to demonstrate how it came over and what it covered on her face._

 _"_ _A metal helmet?" Tony's brow perked in anger as she silently nodded._

 _"_ _What was it for?" Natasha hesitantly asked though something inside of her was telling her exactly what it was used for._

 _"_ _They would….." She swallowed heavily, taking in a shaky breath while Steve tightened his grip around her shoulder._

 _"_ _It's alright doll. You don't have to say anything you don't wish to say." Steve whispered down at her as she shook her head, a few platinum locks falling out of her braid._

 _"_ _Tell us in your own time babe." Clint added back, his nickname from when they had been dating, slipping though no one seemed to notice._

 _"_ _They would slip a piece of wood into my mouth and use the helmet to mess with my head." She whispered, unable to lift her eyes to meet theirs._

 _Their bloods ran cold as they all stared at each other in horror. Especially Steve. It was beginning to sound a lot like what happened to Bucky. Swallowing back the bile, he moved his hand once more, up and down her arm to comfort her._

 _"_ _Mess with your head? Erase your memories?" Natasha then whispered as Skylar bit her lip and nodded, the dull pain of the machine returning to the forefront of her mind._

 _"_ _How often did they do that?" Bruce then spoke up as she sniffled and shrugged._

 _"_ _I can only remember a few instances but I'm sure there were more. They liked their assets to be well-behaved and easy to comply." Her voice grew shaky._

 _"_ _Is there anything else you can tell us Sky? Anything at all?" Bruce carefully asked as the woman lifted her eyes from her sheets to meet his concerned eyes._

 _There was lots to tell them, tons. But at what cost? She had gone through hell and back, surprising even herself when she was still sane enough to be around people longer than a few seconds. She bit the inside of her cheek, wondering what sort of things she was at liberty in telling them, not wanting to push her limits, especially while she herself refused to live through specific memories that were continuing to taunt her, again._

 _Sighing softly, she looked down to Steve's hand intertwined with her uninjured one._

 _"_ _Every other day, they injected me with something. They told me it was the beginning of their new world order." She explained, feeling the room tense around her at her words. But before anyone could interject into her explanation, she did it herself._

 _"_ _I asked what it was but not once did they tell me what it was. They tied me down to a table, had 3 doctors restraint me and hold my arm down before they injected this glowing blue liquid into my elbow." Hesitantly she slipped her hand from Steve's to lift the sleeve of the oversized shirt she was wearing, showing the group the ever permanent look of burnt skin that laid at the crook of her elbow._

 _"_ _The first injection was the most painful. I screamed and cried till I passed out. It felt like they were filling my veins with acid." She whispered, tears spilling from her eyes as her voice shook, her eyes tightening shut against the memories._

 _As soon as the words had left her mouth, she felt Steve stiffen from beside her, his breath coming in and out in short and heavy intervals before a loud clank echoed through the room. Skylar couldn't help but flinch as her eyes shot open to see Tony striding out of the room, the chair he had been sitting in, knocked completely to the ground where Clint was now staring out the window with anger growing in his orbs. Slowly, she turned her head when she felt a hand on her knee and met Natasha's concerned eyes, her thumb rubbing along the skin there in silent comfort._

 _"_ _Rest. We'll talk later, hm." Natasha pressed as she stood from her spot on the edge of Skylar's bed, hugging the woman momentarily before brushing past Bruce and Clint._

 _Bruce had nothing to say as he glanced at the woman he had come to consider as his little unrelated sister with heartbreak in his eyes before it was too much. He soon followed Natasha's footsteps out of the room._

 _The room grew quiet again before she felt Steve's arm wrap around her waist, carefully pulling her completely flush against his side, his lips quickly descending onto her forehead, though a bit harsher than she had expected. Even so, she knew he wasn't in his right mind to even notice how tightly he was holding her._

 _"_ _Cap, when you have time, I'd like to speak to you." Clint's voice pulled the pair from their silent cocoon. The pair glanced up as the archer approached the empty side of the bed, leaning down far enough to peck Sky's cheek before brushing his fingers across her cheek._

 _Steve ignored the gesture the man showed the woman in his arms and nodded._

After learning that those bastards had indeed tried to erase their existence from her memory and continued to inject some unknown substance into her, everyone was set on finding the nearest Hydra base and burning it to the ground with everyone inside.

They were bound determined to make those pay.

* * *

Skylar was soon returned to her room where she was left to her own devices that consisted of the large television screen plastered to the opposite wall and a Stark Pad that her cousin had so graciously made up for her. It was silent for some time as she stared down at the blank screen of her cousin's version of an IPad, unsure what to do with it.

She was happy to be home, to be around those she loved and cherished, but she couldn't help that nagging feeling in the back of her head that she wasn't truly out of Hydra's grasp yet. No. She knew she wasn't. Though she was physically out of their reach, she knew, mentally, everything they did to her, connected the two without much trouble.

Everything they did to her, was for a reason. Not only to destroy the world and take it for their own, but to destroy those she loved. The Avengers.

Sure, they saw one thing that she was now able to do. Telekinesis, from what she was told, kind of like the Avenger's newest member, Wanda. But that wasn't all she could do. She knew, within time they would find out but she didn't want them to. Just the Telekinesis alone scared her, quietly brought up memories of how she used it against Hydra enemies and the innocent while under their control. She had used it to kill a lot of innocent people. She was scared. Afraid what they would think of her once they found out about her other engineered abilities.

Narrowing her eyes in anger, she glared at the IPad sitting in her lap and snorted. Lifting her uninjured hand, she watched as the IPad easily floated off her lap before hanging in mid-air in front of her.

They designed her into a monster to kill those most important to her. She turned her hand slightly, watching as the IPad spun in the air effortlessly.

They made her kill innocent people. Families, mothers, fathers and children. Her hand snapped still, her palm facing the electronic.

They made her watch unwillingly as she killed those people, their screams still filling her mind.

Feeling a dull thump in her mind, she watched as the IPad began to splinter off in pieces, each piece continuing to float until the entire device was dismantled and floating in front of her. If they dared to hurt her family, she would use the very things that gave her, against them.

 _Knock Knock_

"Sky? Can I come in kid?" Tony's voice rang through the door as her eyes shot over to the still shut door. Panicked, she twisted her hand, watching as the device quickly puzzled back together before it dropped into her lap just as the door opened showing her cousin.

"There she is." Tony grin split from ear to ear as he stepped into the room.

She would protect them, at all costs.

* * *

 **So, this was a filler chapter, working up to what I have in store for the next chapter. Action and a bit more plot movement in the next one.**

 **What did you guys think?**


	9. Chapter 9

**So, I'm seriously proud of this chapter. I basically started it on Tuesday because I was suddenly flooded with inspiration after getting some amazing input from one of you lovely readers. Shout out to CJ/Oddball! Your suggestion was brilliant! I'm definitely going to use it and tweak it to the best of my ability. Hopefully this chapter will live up to your expectation.**

 **Get ready for action and a serious plot twist! Hope you all like.**

 **Warning: Mention of sexual abuse/assault**

 **Note:** ** _Italic/Bold-_** **Skylar's Unconscious Adventure (** As I'd like to call the snip-bit of Skylar waking up in her mind in this chapter **)**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own anything Marvel.**

* * *

They had thought the worse behind them. How much worse could it really get?

Skylar was healing perfectly fine. Her brain scans had not changed since the first time Dr. Cho had checked. Her physical injuries were almost none existent thanks to Dr. Cho's cradle she had specially brought over from Seoul. Skylar had just begun walking around with the help of a crutch or wheelchair, which only excited her further. She was eating and mingling, the old Skylar slowly crawling out of the darkness she had been so use to.

But that was all about to change.

* * *

Thunder and lightning shook Stark Tower as the typhoon of weather outside continued to push on. Everyone was beginning to retire into their various rooms of the tower, some staying to mingle in the shared living room area.

Wanda, had slowly begun to grow comfortable with Skylar. Seeing as they now shared a similar ability. Wanda even went as far as showing Skylar a few tricks she could do in which Skylar would try to copy and surprisingly succeed.

Once Skylar was returned to her bedroom with Steve trailing behind her, they slid into the sheets of their bed, the super soldier immediately pulling the smaller woman into his arms, molding her completely to his chest. It was like nothing ever happened between the two of them, something they continuously wished for on a daily basis.

The pair had easily fell asleep in each other's arms while the storm outside continued on its path through the city.

* * *

 ** _Skylar twitched slightly, the sound of howling echoing through her mind as she silently grumbled about wanting to sleep. What the hell was that noise? She lifted a hand, rubbing the sleep from her eyes before slowly peeling them open. The ceiling of her room was the first thing to catch her attention. What time was it? She wondered to herself, stretching the various kinks out in her form before rolling onto her side, immediately noticing the empty side of Steve's side of the bed._**

 ** _He must have gone down to the gym, was the first thing that came to her mind as she pushed herself to sit up, glancing around the quiet room. Why was it so quiet? She asked herself, pulling the sheets off her legs before climbing out. Naturally she had found it strange that it was so quiet, if someone dropped a pin a few floors down, she was afraid she could hear it from here. Skylar stood there, her senses on high alert to the unnatural silence before her body seemed to move on its own accord towards her bathroom. Her worry quickly dissipating on the wind._**

 ** _Going through her usual routine of brushing her hair and teeth, she stepped back out of the room and turned to the floor to the ceiling windows that cluttered one side of her room. It was mid-day from what she could tell._**

 ** _"_** ** _Jarvis?" She called, slowly walking towards the window, something in the distance catching her attention._**

 ** _"_** ** _Jarvis?" She asked again, stopping just a foot from the window, her eyes widening at what she saw. New York City was sitting before her, but not the New York City she knew. It was as if a shadow laid directly over New York City. The skyscrapers that were once bright with lights and lives living in them, now stood as bone structures, dark figures moving around in each of them._**

 ** _This wasn't New York. She shook her head, taking a step back only to bump into something directly behind her. Quickly she spun, her face paling as she came face to face with someone she had thought was long dead._**

 ** _The face of the man that tormented her for such a long time in her childhood, stood smirking in front of her. Her blood ran cold as she opened her mouth to scream only for her voice to be lost on the wind that loudly blew from outside the window._**

 ** _"_** ** _It is quite nice to see you again also, beautiful." The sickening smirk that used to haunt her nightmares appeared on his face._**

 ** _"_** ** _You're not real. You're dead." Her small voice spilled out as he chuckled, quickly whipping out to grip her upper arms._**

 ** _"_** ** _As dead as a doornail, if I remember correctly. You on the other hand, aren't supposed to be here." He stepped closer, his grip on her only tightening as she winced._**

 ** _"_** ** _Here?" She stumbled over her words, her body now feeling as heavy as lead as she stood defenseless in front of her childhood abuser._**

 ** _"_** ** _Here as in the afterlife, or what consists of the afterlife for bastards like me. Not quite heaven but eh….better than nothing." He shrugged uncaring, stepping even closer before burying his nose into her platinum locks._**

 ** _"_** ** _Mmm…you smell just as good as I remember." He murmured against the crown of her head, sending a shiver through her form before she attempting to fight herself out of his grip._**

 ** _"_** ** _Uh-uh-uh, not so fast there." He shook his head, laughing amused as he spun them, now pinning her effortlessly against the nearest wall._**

 ** _By then, tears were beginning to spill from her lids, her body now shaking in fear as the man scanned her form in interest, lastly landing on her hair._**

 ** _"_** ** _What did you do to your hair? Not quite the beautiful brown waves I'm so used to seeing on you, but this particular color gives you such a sexy edge." He whispered smugly into her ear, his hand reaching up to fiddle with the end of one of her locks of hair._**

 ** _"_** ** _Where….am I?" Her terrified voice shook as she shut her eyes, silently telling herself this was only a nightmare. This was only a bad nightmare. But why did it feel so real? Why did it hurt? Why did everything hurt, especially her head._**

 ** _"_** ** _Not as smart as I remember you sweetheart. I remember you being a lot smarter than this." He shook his head, pulling his head back to glance down at her._**

 ** _"_** ** _Did you not hear me when I said this was the afterlife or are you becoming more and more dense the older you get?" His brow perked at the flabbergasted look on her face._**

 ** _"_** ** _T-The afterlife?" She gaped as he chuckled evilly, yanking her from the wall before spinning her so that her back was pinned to his chest, his arms tightly around her from behind._**

 ** _"_** ** _I am dead, thanks to that lovely cousin of yours, but I haven't felt more alive than I do right now. I guess I have your sudden appearance to thank for that." His disgusting voice muttered into her ear as she thrashed in his arms, silently praying for her to wake up._**

 ** _The afterlife? Did that mean she was dead?_**

 ** _"_** ** _No, you're not dead. Not yet anyways. On the contrary, you are quite alive which is why every spirit in this dimension is currently making their way here. Did you know that when someone from the real world comes into this dimension, it's as if someone threw a piece of raw steak into a lion's den after starving said lions for years? You're scent is driving them wild." His last words sent a terrified rack up her form as her eyes quickly shot out the window to see millions of dark figures, slowly making their way towards the building she was standing in._**

 ** _"_** ** _This is quite the familiar position don't you think? My arms around you. You shaking in fear, crying out for your cousin, for your mom. Oh, how I miss this." He nuzzled his nose into the side of her neck, setting her skin ablaze._**

 ** _"_** ** _You know, since your ma is long gone from your life now, I should tell you, she knew about us, about me. What I was doing to you." He laughed proudly, his arms tightening around her as the sound of glass shattering down the building caught their attention._**

 ** _"_** ** _She knew for quite some time about what I was doing to you." He whispered this time, a sickening smirk quickly taking up residence on his face once he realized she was watching him through the reflection of the glass window, the look of disbelief growing on her own._**

 ** _"_** ** _No, you're lying." She let out a choked sob sending him grinning further._**

 ** _"_** ** _I wish I were baby. But she knew, for years she knew. And you know what… .nothing." He smirked as her body began to convulse in his arms._**

 ** _"_** ** _I made her watch a few times, very exciting." He added as both anger and betrayal flooded through her system, the face of her once smiling mother flashed through her mind only sending her heart shattering further._**

 ** _"_** ** _I took your mother a few times when you were out at school. Too bad your father had to die so young. My brother was such a gentlemen." He spat annoyed while the tears continued to fall, sounds of moaning and voices beginning to fill the hallway outside her room._**

 ** _"_** ** _I thought I broke you beyond repair but it would seem I was wrong. How is it, to shack it up with America's Golden Boy? Is he as good as I was? Do you go down on him like you used to do me? Such a slut." He whispered, turning so that she was now facing her bedroom door, the sound of banging growing louder and louder._**

 ** _"_** ** _Does he please you as much as I did? I would assume that much from Captain America." He chuckled amused as the door was kicked in, various beings, both humanoid and faces began to flood into the room. Not only was she terrified but she was growing angrier and angrier at the moment._**

 ** _"_** ** _He's just like me you know. He enjoys how easy you submit to him, how easily you bend over for us. You complied so easily. Just like you did me." She shut her eyes at the thought, shaking them away when she knew he was just trying to get under her skin, like he always did._**

 ** _"_** ** _He's nothing like you." She hissed through gritted teeth, kicking out when one of the beings made a swipe at her leg._**

 ** _"_** ** _Oh, but he is. All males are like me. He'll make you happy, protect you, pleasure you and then when you least expect it, he'll change. He'll take you the same way I did. Watch proudly as you scream and writhe under him. The way you submit to us." He whispered, stepping back till his back was completely against the glass of the window._**

 ** _"_** ** _Shut up." She warned, screaming in pain when one of the beings clawed at her leg, shredding her pajama pants._**

 ** _Panting heavily, her eyes whipped around the room, unable to believe what she was seeing before she heard something that completely set her off._**

 ** _"_** ** _He doesn't love you. No one does." Unable to stop herself, she let all her anger completely consume her before a pulse shot off of her form like a bright light, sending all the dark beings through the walls and out of the room screaming in utter pain while the man behind her was sent through the shattering window._**

 ** _She collapsed to the ground on her hands and knees, pain slowly beginning to crawl up her spine and into her head before a shock of unimaginable pain chattered her consciousness._**

* * *

Skylar shot up out of her bed with a scream, her body completely drenched with sweat as her hands held her head tightly between them. Steve immediately shot up at the sound of her screaming beside him and quickly reached out to her, panic setting in his skin as his hands touched her to feel her skin completely soaked along with her clothes.

The moment someone touched her, she completely snapped. Where was she? What happened? Hydra? Her eyes whipped over to the man sitting beside her, touching her sending her heart soaring through her chest. Eyes widening in fear, she shot her hand out, striking Steve across the chest with a telekinetic wave that sent the super soldier off the bed, through the air and through the ceiling to floor windows.

Ripping the unfamiliar sheets from her form, she shot up out of the bed and ran to the door, yanking it completely from the frame as her energy snapped around her like the lightning loudly whipping outside.

Hydra was keeping her on lockdown. She needed to get out, get away from this place. It was dangerous.

As she stepped out of the room, red lights began to blink brightly as far as she could see, an alarm now sounding loudly through the place. They knew she had escaped. They were coming for her.

"Ma'am. You are safe. You are in Stark Tower." A voice startled her as she stood in the middle of the hallway, dressed in only a pair of torn pajama shorts and a tank top, her muscles rippling under her skin before her eyes narrowed on the speaker sitting above her.

"Sir and the Avengers are being escorted to your current location, Please don't move." The voice said once more as she shot her hand out, the electrical from the speaker, sparking before exploding.

Seeing that the voice had not returned, she kicked off the broken door and took off running, coming to a complete stop inside what looked to be a living room, a group of 5 people standing around the room, their eyes planted on hers. She froze in the entryway, her eyes taking in every one, the two females with the 3 males, one being the one she just threw out the window.

"Sky. You're okay." One of the females pushed as she narrowed her eyes at them. Liars. Hydra is full of liars.

"You know us kid, all of us." One of the males pressed, gesturing to those present.

"A lot better than we'd like to admit." Another male added sheepishly as she continued to stare at them,

"Sky." The one she had thrown through the window took a hesitant step towards her sending her taking a step back.

"Don't. She doesn't know us, any of us." Wanda put a hand up to stop anyone else from approaching the woman that looked like a broken and beaten dog.

"Friday, send a legionnaire." One of the men spoke softly into an ear piece, making her heart leap through her throat as her eyes quickly took in the room, mapping all exits.

"Skylar, we're not going to hurt you, we're just trying to help." One of the men said helplessly as she narrowed her eyes further. Hydra in disguise. Hydra in another skin.

"Sky, please." The soaked man begged before she was completely knocked off her feet when it felt as if her brain was going to explode. She collapsed to the ground, moaning out in pain as she held her head between her hands, begging for the pain to go away.

"Sky!" Several voices shouted before the sound of loud footsteps approaching her, cut the pain completely from her.

Her head whipped up quickly to see the entire room running towards her. She wasted no time, throwing both her arms out, tossing everyone away from her and in various directions. She watched proudly as a few of them shot through the walls and window, while the others were tossed over couches and counters.

Pulling herself to stand while they were distracted. She needed to get out.

Running towards the only door she could find, she skidded to a halt when a man in an iron suit shot in front of her, his hands out.

"Skylar, stop. You're better than this. You know us." A voice spoke from inside the suit as she narrowed her eyes again, her hand shooting out, completely stopping the man's movements.

"Friday?" Tony asked in confusion as alarms inside his suit began to go off, finding that he was unable to move, even at full power.

"It would seem that Ms. Skylar has taken command of your suit sir. I am unable to run a security scan to extract her from it." Friday's broken voice entered the suit while Tony stared in disbelief at his cousin standing before him.

Lifting her other hand, she began to slowly lifted Tony off the ground before spinning him mid-air as he shouted for her to stop. He stopped mid-air before she slowly began to close her fingers, watching as his suit began to break off, piece by piece before showcasing the man hiding under it.

To say Tony was flabbergasted, was an understatement. He was further thrown for a loop as his iron suit began to reassemble beside him before she tossed the suit at him full force, forcing him through the kitchen wall and into the next room.

"Stark!" A voice shouted as she spun to see the other 4, standing defensively while staring at her.

"Sky, Tony's is family. He's your cousin. You hurt him." One of the female's mention as Sky's head swam. She had no family. No friends. No one cared about her.

Suddenly, she was hit by a wave that only made her stumble a bit, while lifting a hand to hold her head. Visions, pictures of things began to attempt to slip into her consciousness before she fought them out, narrowing her eyes at the youngest member in the room.

"Wanda, stop." One of the males warned her, seeing the way it had only angered Sky.

Throwing her arms out again, she tossed the remaining men into a wall, planting them against it with her energy along with one of the females. Once she was face to face with the woman who tried to tweak her mind, her eyes flashed violet as she easily entered the woman's mind, finding what scared her most and swallowed her mind with it.

She was Hydra, Sky had no doubt about it. Only they were desperate enough to mess with her mind. She would dispose of her first.

Wanda's eyes widened before she screamed in terror and pain, collapsing to the ground as her brother's death played on repeat inside her mind. She couldn't do anything, she couldn't fight off the constant reminder that she had no family left in this world.

"Wanda!" The others shouted in concern while Skylar continued to stare down at the woman's writhing body in pride.

"Sky! Stop it! You're hurting her!" One of the men shouted from his spot against the wall.

"This isn't you Sky! You don't hurt innocent people. You are not the monster Hydra created you to be!" The man from the bed shouted at her, her violet eyes finding it hard to rip away from baby blues.

She opened her mouth to retort only for blackness to cloud her vision.

Vision quickly caught the woman's unconscious form, watching as the 3 pinned to the now broken wall, fell to a heap on the ground while Tony climbed out of the rubble left of their kitchen wall, Wanda breathing heavily as she silently sobbed against the back of the couch.

What had Hydra truly created Skylar into? And why?

* * *

 **So…..how did you guys like it? I'd appreciate your opinions on it. The dimension ability is something new to me but something I am greatly excited to experience with Skylar. I already have great plans to intertwine it with the rest of the story.**

 **See you next Sunday!**


	10. Chapter 10

**So, I felt bad/annoyed because I got a lot of hate/dislike for inserting a little child abuse into my last chapter. A lot of people begged me not to have her mind completely erased, a lot of others said not to have the Hydra agents sexually abuse her while she was with them. I listened to that. Honestly, I don't have to listen to anyone and push the story on the way 'I' want it to be, but I'm open-minded to what others would like to read.**

 **Let me explain a little something. I decided on a little childhood darkness because I felt it would be something that could possibly lead to something a bit more complicated in her future/relationship, which will help the plot progress a bit. It also is being used towards how she grew up a bit more tough skinned yet a shell of the person she had been when she was a child. Everyone has their dark pasts, whether it was their fault or not, but it helps to shape them as a person as they grow older, whether good or bad. And coming from a person who personally went through sexual assault as a child, I can tell you that something like that is completely true. Evil things like that only make you stronger.**

 **Okay, now that I got my minor venting out of the way, I decided to update a little earlier this week for 2 reasons.**

 **One, I'm not absolutely positive I'll be around on Sunday to update on schedule, seeing as it's Memorial Weekend, my family usually goes camping or is completely out of the house all weekend. No Wifi, No updating.**

 **And two, for those of you who 'disliked' the fact that I put child assault into the last chapter, here's something for you to wrap your minds around. Some cute flashbacks to hold you off onto the next update.**

 **NOTE:** _ITALICS =_ Flashback

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Marvel or its characters.**

* * *

Everyone sat quietly around the destroyed living area, what had happened flashing through everyone's minds as they iced their various wounds from a battle they never saw coming.

"Why didn't she remember us?" Clint spoke first, his eyes hard as he stared across at the various damage done to various walls around the room. As if Steve thought he knew the answers, he glanced over at Bruce who had showed up just after all the excitement. Bruce noticed the super soldiers stare and opened his mouth to speak only to stop. Even he couldn't give any answers.

"Dr. Cho is on her way. She'll be here before morning." Tony grumbled as he limped over to an open spot beside Natasha, holding a glass of scotch up to his bloody temple. He plopped down into the spot, groaning under his breath as he lifted his free arm to rub at his shoulder.

The elevator to the floor opened with a ding, catching everyone's attention as they watched Vision stride in with a passive expression.

"How's Wanda holding up?" Steve asked, guiltily while the android continued to approach them.

"She's shaken up but resting." Vision answered, slipping to stand beside Tony unconsciously.

"I don't know about you all but I'm sure this entire mess isn't going to go unnoticed by a certain one eyed man." Natasha was the one to point out the obvious, seeing as Maria had called not long after the encounter about reports of broken glass and pieces of the building landing, luckily, on inhabited cars below the building. Groans and sighs of annoyance and defeat flooded through the room at the thought of the man also showing up within the next hour or so, expecting answers to questions, they didn't have.

"How's Sky?" Tony then asked the only doctor in their presence who quickly looked over at being addressed. Slipping his glasses off, wiping the lenses on his shirt, he slipped it on before slipping his hands into his pockets.

"Nothing much I can tell you aside from she's breathing, resting, alive." Bruce answered, not sure what they were really looking for from him.

"Where is she?" Steve's broken voice asked as Bruce cast a wary look in Tony's direction.

"We thought it best to keep her in the lab, in the 'Hulk' playpen till she woke up." Tony answered, watching as shock slipped through Steve's face.

"So, basically you are keeping her locked up, like Hydra did?" Steve hadn't meant to sound defensive, but after everything that had happened that evening, his nerves were fraying dangerously. Tony on the other hand scoffed, looking around the room for someone to back him up but seeing none, he rolled his eyes in disbelief.

"Uh, excuse me. We're you the only one not present for the death match my cousin laid down on us? With abilities not one of us knew she had, might I add." Tony shot back, his own nerves fraying in turn with Steves.

"Abilities or not, she's you're cousin, Stark, not some monster. How do you expect her to react when she wakes up to find out she's in a cell, again?!" Steve shot out of his seat, steam burning off of him in waves while the billionaire looked up at him unfazed.

"Still, she's dangerous to us and herself. I'm doing this because I care about her Cap. Not because I think she's a monster. She's the only family I have, I know." Tony's hard glare snapped over at Steve before the super soldier spun on his heels, marching out of the room.

He couldn't breath, he needed to get some air.

* * *

Hours later, everyone found themselves in various areas of the Tower, unsure what to do with themselves at this point.

Both Clint and Natasha were scouting through maps and hacking into as many databases as available, intent on finding the closest Hydra base to let off some steam.

Steve hadn't left his shared room with Skylar since leaving the groups gathering just hours earlier. Even when Tony's bots climbed the building to repair the broken glass window, he continued to silently sit there, his mind working at a million miles per hour.

Vision kept his place beside a sleeping Wanda, settling for watching over the woman who continued to cry and moan through her resting state. The android couldn't explain it, yet he felt an unfamiliar feeling when he watched as silent tears spilled from the woman's eyes. What was this feeling?

Tony and Bruce on the other hand, stayed where they knew best, the lab.

A playpen had been set up in the far corner, made with the most valuable material, strong enough to even hold the Hulk himself, incase of an outburst. But instead of the green monster, it held a tiny woman that was set up on a hospital bed at the center, various medical machines hooked up to her while her heart beat beeped loudly through the room.

"I don't understand." Tony muttered more to himself as he leaned over a few sheets of paper, his hands gripping his hair tightly in their grasp.

"Don't understand what?" Bruce asked, briefly glancing up from the laptop in his grasp. Tony sighed loudly, passing a glance to the playpen before meeting the doctor's eyes.

"Don't you think it's weird? We were just talking to her like 2 hours before all this shit went to hell. She didn't even recognize us!" Tony threw his hands up in exasperation, slamming his fists down onto the desk in defeat. Bruce on the other hand, watching the man slowly begin to lose his cool before he shut the laptop, rubbing the bridge of his nose between his fingers.

"I have a theory that it has something to do with the effects of that mind-wiping machine that she was telling us about. I'm beginning to wonder if it has long term effects that we're seeing now." Bruce explained the theory he had begun to bounce around in his head after hearing what had went down upstairs.

Tony glanced up, clearly not amused by the man's words.

"So you're trying to say that whatever the hell those bastards did to her head, its messing with her mind, even now?" Tony then offhanded asked, lifting a hand up to massage at his temples.

"It's just a theory Tony. But I think, whatever they injected her with along with the shock therapy they put her through, there is no way she would come out unscathed. As terrible as it sounds, what if temporary amnesia isn't as ridiculous as it sounds?" Bruce offered the billionaire who continued to lean over the table, his shoulder's hunched.

"I need a drink." Tony mumbled, not passing the man another glance before he quickly exited the lab and into the waiting elevator.

Bruce couldn't contain the sigh that fluttered through his lips before pressing the palms of his hands into his eyes in defeat. Rubbing them a bit, he dropped his hands flat onto the surface of the desk before turning his attention over to the woman silently laying within the thick glass pen.

"What have they done to you Sky?" He whispered shakily.

* * *

 _Bruce yanked himself from bed before basically dragging himself down the hall to the elevator and down a few floors. It wasn't every day that he found himself having to bribe himself to get out of bed and down to the lab, as shocking as that sounds for an obsessed scientist. Luckily for him, someone had left a full mug of black coffee at his work station and gratefully took it with both hands, inhaling the heavy scent of caffeine._

 _He took a sip of the hot liquid, humming in delight before letting out a loud and unwanted yawn._

 _"_ _You know, a yawn is a silent scream for more coffee." A voice startled him, sending him choking on the hot liquid dripping down his chin before spinning to see a familiar female perked up on a station a few feet behind him, her own mug snug in his grasp._

 _"_ _Sky. Geez, when did you get here?" He asked embarrassed, turning back to his work station, reaching for a rag off to the side, quickly wiping the mess he had made with the dark liquid._

 _Her chuckle echoed around the empty lab before the scrapping of the metal stool opposite his work station, pulled his attention up to see her taking a seat._

 _"_ _Who do you think was nice enough to leave you coffee?" She perked her brow teasingly, holding up her own coffee in a mock toast before sipping it. He glanced down at his matching coffee mug before chuckling, shaking his head in disbelief. He should have guessed._

 _"_ _I guess thank you is in order?" He teased as she grinned from over her mug._

 _"_ _Would be nice." She shrugged, uncaring but secretly wanting to hear it from the good doctor._

 _"_ _You know, the more and more I see you, I'm having a hard time believing you're related to Tony." Bruce decided to take another route sending the woman freezing before breaking out laughing, slapping her hand a few times on the surface of the desk._

 _"_ _Alright, that is like 100x better than a thank you." She wiped the laughable tears from her eyes before smiling over at Bruce who returned the expression._

 _"_ _What can I say? I'm a genius." He shrugged innocently as she snorted into her mug._

 _"_ _You're hanging out too much with Tony, Bruce. You're starting to show your true colors." Sky poked as the man rolled his eyes, pulling open his laptop._

 _"_ _That man is like a disease, it was bound to happen." Bruce offhandedly commented sending her snickering, unable to disagree._

 _It grew quiet between the two before Sky placed her empty mug down and spun in her seat. Bruce, hearing the squeak of the metal chair, glanced up, above his glasses to see the woman spinning with a smile on her face. He watched her a second longer before shaking his head, a smiling growing on his face._

 _"_ _Hey Bruce? What's that?" Her voice yanked him from his thoughts as he looked up to see her gesturing onto a neighboring counter where a bundle of electronic mess sat with various other pieces scattered around it._

 _"_ _Kind of looks like Sam's wing bag." She mentioned more to herself as she slipped off the bench and walked over to inspect it._

 _"_ _That's an upgraded version of his wings that I'm still working on." Bruce explained, slipping his glasses off before approaching her as she began to flutter through the mess._

 _"_ _You haven't finished it yet?" She asked, noting the light sheen of dust that laid over the object, obvious that it had been sitting for some time. Bruce sheepishly nodded from beside her, rubbing the back of his neck._

 _"_ _Ultron happened then Tony had me working on new upgrades to the Tower and jet. Haven't had the time yet to figure out how to do anything yet." He shrugged, slipping his hands into his pockets._

 _"_ _May I?" She asked with a teasing smile, gesturing down to the case._

 _"_ _By all means." He chuckled and nodded for her to have at it._

 _"_ _What sort of upgrade was he looking into?" She asked interested, reaching over to Bruce, startling him when she yanked a screwdriver out of his front pocket._

 _"_ _Uuhhhhh…..he wanted a miniature version of the wings made, something that can be detached and then remotely controlled." He explained once he got his baring's back. Skylar froze the screwdriver above one of the inner workings before looking over at Bruce in disbelief._

 _"That dork wants a mini?" She asked, a laugh threatening to bubble up her throat. Seeing the look on her face, Bruce laughed lightheartedly and nodded._

 _"_ _His words, not mine. Cap mentioned it would help on missions when they needed to send ears and eyes to infiltrate a building before throwing themselves in." Bruce shrugged, having agreed to what the captain had mentioned._

 _"_ _That sounds almost too easy for you to do." Sky pointed out teasingly sending Bruce smiling._

 _"_ _Like I said, I haven't had the time yet. On top of that, Sam wanted me to device a pair of goggles with heat seeking tech and is able to tap into the flight pattern of his 'mini me'." Bruce added the 'mini me' nickname watching as Sky rolled her eyes before snorting._

 _"_ _Well, I'm practically bored out of my mind, mind if I give it a try?" She then asked, looking up to see him glancing down at her surprised._

 _"_ _Wait…..you want to try? Do you understand how to do something like that?" Bruce was flabbergasted. He rarely saw Skylar down in the lab or around a screwdriver, could she really do the upgrade on her own?_

 _On the other hand, Skylar looked up at him a bit offended by the look of disbelief growing on his face._

 _"_ _Excuse me, Dr. Banner, but I am still first and foremost a Stark. I understand the basic workings of technology and electronics. Don't be so surprised. Jesus Christ. You act like I just told you a dirty secret." She muttered the last part, slightly peeved that he thought so little of her._

 _"_ _I-I…I didn't mean it that way Sky, it's just….." Bruce began to quickly defend himself._

 _"_ _I know I know." She brushed him off, knowing exactly what he was going to say before he actually did._

 _"_ _But, just so we get something straight. If I finish this, correctly, I expect to be next on your list of upgrades. I want a cool upgrade on my wardrobe. And I won't take no for an answer and I don't care what Tony says. He can shove it up his ass for all I care." She waved the screwdriver around the air before diving into the project, not waiting for Bruce to agree._

 _Though at this point, he couldn't stop the smile growing on his face as he watched her dive in head first with no hesitation._

 _A few hours later:_

 _"_ _HA! I DID IT! Suck on that!" Skylar launched herself out of her seat, hopping up and down, shaking her butt from side to side in a mini dance. Bruce was startled out of the silence and looked over, beyond surprised to see the finished pack along with the mini-me and goggles sitting beside it. He opened and closed his mouth a few times, unable to muster up words as he approached her work station, shocked beyond words._

 _"_ _I….." Bruce reached out for the goggles, slipping them onto his head and flipping them on to see that it did exactly as the man had asked._

 _"_ _I'll be in touch about my wardrobe Brucie." Skylar patted his shoulder proudly before walking out of the lab with an extra bounce in her step._

* * *

A grin split across Bruce's features at the memory before footsteps echoed through the lab.

"Keep grinning like that, someone's gonna call the white coats on you, Doctor." Tony's voice pulled him from his thoughts causing him to quickly clear his throat before going back to work.

He will do anything in his power to help his friend.

* * *

 **Sooo…how was that Bruce flashback? I wanted the two to have such a cute relationship, nothing romantic but friendly. I always thought Bruce would be such a cool guy to be friends with in real life. Aside from the obvious anger issues and the fact that I probably wouldn't understand what the hell he was saying half the time lol. But yet, he'd be a pretty chill guy to sit down and talk with as long as he was speaking in a language I could understand. In a way, I guess I based Sky off of myself, sort of. I'd like to think I was as smart as a Stark, but I'm 110% positive I'm the complete opposite. It's cool to put my fantasy mind into my character.**

 **Anyways, if I don't update on Sunday, Happy Memorial Everyone! Chances are, if I have the time, I might post sometime before the next Sunday update. Not sure yet, but I do have a chapter already written that just needs to be scanned through a few more times.**

 **I'll try, but no promises.**

 **Oh! And one more thing, I'm seeing all your lovely reviews! I promise. I just haven't had the opportunity to respond at the beginning of each chapter like I'd want to. I do read them and appreciate each and everyone of them.**


	11. Chapter 11

**I hope everyone had a great Memorial Weekend. I did, surprisingly enough. Spent tons of time with family from both sides, had even more fun with everyone. It's not every day we get to meet up like we did. It was refreshing.**

 **Anyways, I figured since I wasn't able to post on Sunday and I posted earlier last week, I would post an extra chapter this week to hold you all over till Sunday. (Yes, I still plan on posting on Sunday.) Unfortunately, it's a bit on the short side since it is directed at only a pair of characters interacting. So yes, I'm considering this a filler of sorts.**

 **I hope you all like it. I felt that an interaction like this would be needed, especially for those involved.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Marvel.**

* * *

Tony had left the lab about 20 minutes ago for a drink, yet, here he was, standing motionlessly in the shared kitchenette area, staring at the bottles of wine and alcohol stacked precisely in their cases. He had told himself he came up here to get a drink, but really, that was surprisingly the last thing on his mind. Sighing out, he finally made a move, only to lean against the counter top, his hands gripping the granite corners before hanging his head. Drinking would solve nothing. Drinking wouldn't solve his cousin's memory problems and it sure as hell wouldn't bring his cousin back from whatever torture she had endured to be where she was today. He had originally thought, with her having been under control of Loki last year that he would be used to the fact that her mind had been tampered with once before.

Nope.

Scoffing at the annoyed thoughts of yet another memory that served to point out how horrible of an older cousin he was to her. Horrible didn't even beginning to describe the sort of family he was to her. What would his father say if he could see him today? _Worthless. All the money and brains in the world yet you couldn't step up to protect the only family you have left._ Sure, it would piss him off to no end knowing that his father had a serious soft spot for his cousin, but really, he couldn't blame him. Skylar was just that sort of person, very welcoming, yet stubborn, but extremely kind, intelligent, independent and tons of fun to be around. True to her name, she was a Stark by blood yet she held such compassion for others that even Tony himself was finding it hard to keep up with her. Had he not been around to take over his father's business, he had no doubt that his father would have written the company off to her.

Shit. If his father had been around today, he could already hear that man's voice laying it on him about Skylar being injured, yet again. Even Peppers voice was beginning to scream at him in the back of his mind, telling him how terrible of a parental figure he was.

He couldn't help but silently scold himself for worrying more about his Iron Man Suits and the Avenger Initiative then the safety of his own flesh and blood. If he had his priorities straight from the beginning, none of this would have happened.

"You okay?" A voice suddenly startled him as his head shot up, his eyes quickly seeking out the other person that had just appeared around the corner, frozen in the doorway, obviously unsure if it was safe to approach the seething billionaire.

"Yeah, silently seething is all." Tony brushed off the soldiers worry, reflexively going for a scotch bottle just below the counter.

"Stark, I wanted to apologize about what I said earlier. I didn't mean for it to sound like you didn't care when we all know you care about Skylar just as much as anyone else here does." Steve carefully apologized as he approached the opposite side of the counter, his eyes never pulling away from the others form.

"Don't sweat it Cap, our nerves are being put to the test through all this shit, if it wasn't you going off on my choices, it would have been one of the others. I'm used to it." Tony shrugged, attempting to seem uncaring though the other man could easily see through his façade.

Steve nodded, pulling up the bar stool to sit on, watching Tony fiddle around with his half-filled glass of scotch.

"I was thinking about what dad would have said, had he been alive to see all this happening. I'd probably be black and blue, unrecognizable." Tony sputtered his lips, never pulling his eyes from the glass in his hand. Steve watched him, surprised by the turn of the conversation, having not heard Tony speak about his father in some time, seeing as it was still a touchy subject to the man.

"Dad had such a soft spot for Skylar growing up. Whenever Uncle Harold and Aunt Lily would bring her around to visit on the holidays, it was like an unfamiliar person would take over my father during their stay. He would smile so much more around her, more than I had ever seen him do to me. It was times like those that I would wonder if he wished that she had been his heir and not me." Tony whispered the last part, seeming to have lost himself slightly in the wave of his memories.

"Tony, you can't seriously think….." Steve stepped in to voice his opinion only for Tony to shake his head and interrupt.

"I hated Sky for such a long time, I'm sure she was nice enough to fill you in on our years of dispute, especially after dad passed." Tony gestured over to Steve, finally lifting his eyes to meet his baby blues.

"She's mentioned it once or twice." Steve hesitantly answered as Tony nodded knowingly, circling the bar before heading down the stairs towards the ceiling to floor windows looking off the shared living room.

"I was so set on the thought that my father loved her more than he ever loved me that I didn't see past what my pride was seeing." Tony muttered, unsure if he should continue his reminiscing. Taking another heavy sip of his drink, he cleared his throat and continued, watching as his reflection moved in the pristine glass.

"It was after her parents both passed and she was tossed into my custody, that I finally saw what both my parents saw in her. It took me 16+ years to realize, the only thing I was seeing, was the selfish, greedy, good for nothing self-centered bastard in me. It had never been her. My father tried, every day to get through to me but I never saw more than a billionaire working from morning to night, 365 days a year to please others instead of his own son. But like Skylar, I couldn't see why he was doing what he was doing." Tony hung his head ashamed at himself.

"My father loved her like one of his own because she was willing to step up and do what is right, to learn what he was willing to teach her while I stood off to the side and whined like a little spoiled rich kid." Tony grumbled from the lip of his glass.

"You know, as much as I hate to admit it but it was Skylar's idea to go green with the Tower running on clean energy. Someone like me, would have never thought of it since money isn't a problem for the electricity bills this building sucks on." Tony scoffed as he gestured around him animatedly.

After that confession, Tony silently stood there, swimming in the words that slipped through his mouth.

"For as long as I can remember, I have never done one good thing by Skylar. Not one. The woman is half my age and yet she's done more for me than I can even remember." He shook his head, disappointed in himself.

"But Sky's always been there for me. Even when I was being a snobby ass wipe after my dad died, even when the company was thrusted into my 'ever waiting' hands." He sarcastically added with a roll of his eyes.

"She was there. She always has been there even though she never had to." Tony sighed in defeat, sipping the rest of his scotch.

The two stared at each other for some time after that, not one of them making a move to say anything until Steve took the opportunity.

"You know, you may think you haven't done anything for Skylar, but I know quite the opposite." Steve started, slipping off his stool while his hands disappeared into his pants pockets.

"I have only ever heard Sky talk highly about you Stark. Even though those around may think the complete opposite of you, no offense, I was one of them but Sky, no." He shook his head, approaching the man till he was standing just feet from him, a shocked expression taking up resident on the billionaires face.

"If I remember correctly, you were the one that took her in when she had nowhere to go, Stark. That's going out of your way and doing something for her." Steve pointed out only causing Tony to snort and glance away.

"I was just doing what I thought was right. Nothing more. She was 10 for gods sake." Tony brushed off the man's words.

"I know you think that way, but think about this. If you hadn't taken her in when you did, she would have been put into the system. Can you imagine what would have happened had a 'Stark' been put into a foster home? A 10 year old Stark who had no choice or say in what happened to her or what sort of people adopted her. What sort of things would have happened if you 'hadn't' stepped up and did what you did." Steve emphasized his point, watching as Tony flinched a little in realization.

"You did a lot more than you think you did for her Stark. More than you know. You gave her a home with family. You're her only family and I know for a fact, she wouldn't change that for anything in the world. Not even me." Steve reassured the man, walking forward the last few steps before placing a firm hand on his shoulder.

"We're going to help her Stark. Even by our dying breaths." Steve whispered, squeezing the man's shoulder in comfort before letting go and disappearing from the room.

"Damn Popsicle." Tony muttered under his breath annoyed once the super soldier was out of hearing range.

He wouldn't admit it, but the man was right.

* * *

 **So, that's that. A bit of interaction between Skylar's only family and the one she loves. I felt the story needed a private conversation between the two men in her life, along with a bit more information on Skylar and Tony's backstory. Hope it was alright.**

 **Till Sunday~**


	12. Chapter 12

**I'm having a terrible day and needed something to brighten it just a bit. That's one reason why I'm posting earlier this week, another is, I just found out this morning that one of my uncles passed away. I'm heartbroken but since I had this chapter written up already, I thought I'd post it for you all seeing as I'll be on family time for the weekend and possibly next week.**

 **A little Clint time always seems to brighten me up. Love that Bird Boy.**

 **Warning: Tiny, tiny warning. Just a brief mention of sexual encounter, very mild smut that last about 1 second but I figured I'd warn ya just incase.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Marvel.**

* * *

Since Skylar had been safely returned to the Tower, Clint had found himself seeking out silence more than usual. Instead of being down in the gym with Nat or cooking up trouble with Thor, Clint found himself sitting alone on the balcony or silently lying in bed staring at the ceiling.

Skylar had meant the world to him at one point down the road and though he wouldn't admit it, he missed her touch desperately.

But now wasn't the time to think about what he lost, no. His thoughts were now constantly drifting to the fact that the woman that still held his heart, was suffering because of the bad guys. Bad guys didn't even stand to describe them. Clint wanted nothing more than to hunt the earth and find every last Hydra bastard just to watch proudly as they squirmed from under his torture. Oh, he would find it most amusing to watch as they begged for their lives while he killed them each, slowly. He wouldn't doubt it if Nat jumped in to watch or even participate. Just like old times, standing beside his partner, torturing others for info.

He scoffed as he ran a frustrated hand through his hair, unsure what to do or think at this point. He wanted to help her, to find a way to help her, to stop her pain, to stop the torture she was still going through, but how? No one knew what the hell was going on inside her head anymore.

She was an enhanced, like Wanda. Enhanced with abilities neither of them had ever seen in their lives. Sure, she was sort of like Wanda in a way that both women shared a telekinetic bond, but being able to pull one of the most advanced tech he'd ever seen Stark build, apart, piece by piece before putting it back together like an elementary school puzzle? Just the thought alone was sending him furrowing his brow, unsure how to react to something like that. It was something out of a comic book, literally.

What had Hydra really done to her? He knew whatever they had done to her, it was something serious. Hydra had a plan and it was her. There was no doubt about it.

"Just gonna sit in here and sulk all day?" A voice yanked him from his thoughts as his head shot up, glancing towards the now opened doorway where his friend stood with a concerned glance. He sagged back into the sheets in relief before staring back up at his ceiling.

"Let me sulk in peace." He waved her off uncaring as she snorted, kicking off the door frame, shutting the door behind her as she approached the empty side of his bed.

Tasha quickly made herself at home, scooting onto the empty space of his bed, leaning her back against the headboard while her legs were stretched out in front of her. The pair sat quietly for a few moments, just staring at random places in the room, unsure what to say, especially with everything that happened in the last few hours.

"How's Sky?" Clint's voice startled Tasha a bit as she glanced over to see his eyes shut as he laid on his back.

"They moved her down into the lab to keep her under surveillance till she wakes up." Tash explained what Bruce had told her when she made to go and check on the woman, only getting as far as the elevator before Tony turned her back. They were obviously hiding something seeing as no one was allowed down into the lab at the moment.

She shook the thoughts from her head and continued to watch her friend, watching as he sighed out in obvious relief before his eyes slowly peeled open.

"There's nothing we can do till she wakes up Clint, you know that." Nat pushed as she instantly noticed the look of deep concentration cross his features.

"Yet I feel like I should be doing something like going out and finding one of those bastards." He clenched his hands into fists before sputtering his lips, his chest instantly deflating.

"You and the rest of everyone here. As much as I agree with you on going out and finding one to sink my knife in, we need to be here for Sky now. She needs us more than ever." She whispered, her gaze turning to the blank screen of the television on the opposite wall.

"What the hell are we supposed to do Nat? She's not the same Sky she disappeared as." Clint threw his hands in the air, pushing himself to sit up and turn, placing his feet on the ground as he offered his back to her.

"And you love her any less than when she disappeared?" Nat tested the waters, nodding to herself when she saw the obvious tension in his shoulders build. She fought off a small smile, having known for a while that her friend had never stopped loving the woman that he technically only had a few months relationship with before they broke it off.

"I don't think that's possible." Clint whispered, more to himself though he knew the woman sitting behind him, heard him clear as day.

"She may not be the same, Clint, but she's still Sky. Are you planning on just running off and looking for trouble while the others stay here and attempt to help her?" Nat then perked a brow in his direction, curious to how he would answer that question. She heard the scoff that emanated from his lips before shifting in his seat.

"We all know Fury is going to show up within the next 24 hours insisting on answers. He may even go as far as attempting to take Skylar into custody once he finds out what happened. We're going to need all the help we can get." Nat added, pushing herself to stand from the bed.

"I won't let him take her, over my dead body." Clint hissed through clenched teeth, attracting Nat's gaze once more as she walked around the bed to stand beside him.

"Stark and Rogers won't let that happen either." She added, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"How long have you known?" Clint suddenly asked, never looking up from his hands in his lap. The frown on Tasha's face quickly melted into an amused smirk as she turned and strolled over to the door, slowly pulling it open.

"I've known for a while. I'm a lot more observant than anyone here, lucky for you or Cap would have been on your ass from the very beginning." Nat teased, finally meeting Clint's blues, trust evident in them.

"Thanks Nat." Clint couldn't help but thank the woman who he trusted with his life and secrets.

"Anytime Bird Boy." She teased, waving at him as he scoffed.

"Only Sky is allowed to call me that!" He shouted after her, hearing her giggle as she poked her head back into the room.

"And its things like this that make your crush even more obvious." Nat winked before disappearing once more.

Clint glared at the closed door for a moment longer before groaning out loud in defeat. He wasn't getting anything done by sitting here and moping. He needed to get up and see what the others were doing. Maybe they had a plan already whipped up and ready to go.

* * *

 _He awoke to humming, his eyes slowly peeling open from their rested state, the stars from outside the floor to ceiling windows still sparkling as they had when the pair had drifted off to sleep just hours before. Stretching out the kinks in his form, he glanced over to the opposite side of the bed, immediately taking notice of her empty side of his bed._

 _Something clattered to the floor just at the corner of his room causing him to yank his head up in surprise, surprise quickly melting into amusement as he watched her stroll around in his dress shirt from the party the night before, muttering coming from her voice as she tapped away at the tablet in her hand._

 _"_ _Work couldn't wait till the sun came up?" His husky sleep driven voice spoke up, startling her as she spun to face him, her brown locks flying around her._

 _Seeing that he was awake, she chuckled, clicking on a few more things before tossing the tablet onto the foot of the bed, her own form wasting no time in straddling him through a simple sheet. He grunted as her weight was suddenly on him, his hands pulling themselves from their hiding spot under his pillow and to her bare thighs._

 _"_ _You know me too well Bird Boy, it is never too early or late, to work." She teased, pressing her hands to his bare chest before leaning down, pressing her lips to his. He groaned at her attempt to distract him, knowing full well how much he disliked the fact that even when she was supposed to be relaxing, she worked herself into a rut._

 _"_ _You know, kissing me like you do won't change the subject." He muttered against her lips, her hands dragging down his chest, pulling the sheet slowly down with her._

 _"_ _You sure baby?" She whispered against his lips, her brown orbs flashing up to his, smirking as she felt his grasp on her thighs tighten ever so slightly._

 _"_ _You devious vixen." He muttered in a grunt when she lifted herself long enough to yank the sheet free of hiding his obvious hard-on. She smirked wider, pulling away from his lips to press open mouthed kisses along his jaw and down his neck._

 _Clint was slowly losing the battle of wanting to scold her for working when he had specifically asked her not to while they spent the weekend together. But, knowing her as well as he did, he knew she couldn't stay away from work for too long. Especially with Hill and Fury climbing up her ass at every waking minute of the night._

 _"_ _Ah!" Clint gasped in surprised and arousal as her warm core was suddenly surrounding his extremely hard shaft. When she had made the move to slip her underwear off, he had no clue, just the feeling of her pulsating around him was enough to kick any fresh thought in his mind, out of the way._

 _"_ _What was that, baby?" She purred seductively, her hips slowly rolling forward and backwards, watching amused as his head quickly rolled back into his pillow, his eyes fluttering shut while his fingers dug into her pale thighs. He knew, this woman would be the death of him._

* * *

Clint blinked back the memory assaulting his mind, muttering curses when he realized what said memory had done to him. Rolling his eyes in annoyance, he grabbed the nearest couch pillow and held it over the tent present in his sweats, attempting to hide his embarrassment while everyone lounge around the room.

Since speaking with Nat earlier, Clint found it better that he was lounging around with the others, in case of a breakthrough or new info, instead of moping around his room, which he was couldn't deny was a great thought at this point.

"You okay Barton?" A voice suddenly asked, sending Clint's wide eyes looking over in momentary alert before they shot back to his usual passive expression.

"Yeah, yeah. Fine. Exhausted but fine." Clint shrugged off the Cap's worries, not wanting to bring up a past relationship memory he had with the man's girlfriend. Oh, that would be an interesting chat alright. Especially knowing that Cap and Sky hadn't slept together since they started dating all those months ago. He snorted, his mind wanting nothing more than to rub in the fact that he got Skylar in bed, but seriously, what good would that do now? They weren't together anymore and he could clearly tell how much Cap meant to the girl, especially after overhearing Nat and Sky talking about her non-existent sexual encounters with the team's leader.

* * *

 _"_ _Na—" Clint skid to a halt when he caught both his best friend and his ex-girlfriend chatting quietly just inside the gym door._

 _"_ _Wait. Are you telling me that you haven't 'done the deed' with Cap yet?" Natasha was shocked, just a bit that her friend hadn't done it with the man yet. Skylar on the other hand, snorted before waving the woman off as she turned back to the punching bag._

 _"_ _What's so bad about waiting? I mean, there are people in the world that wait till after they get married to show off their birthday suit to their significant other." Skylar added, attempting to sound serious though the brief waver in her voice wasn't doing her any justice._

 _"_ _Waiting? Really? How long were you dating Clint before you guys shacked it up?" Nat shot back, wanting nothing more than to hear her friend's dirty secret._

 _Landing a round house kick on the bag before adding a quick succession of punches, she glared around the bag at the red hair now sprawled across the neighboring mat._

 _"_ _Not the point." Skylar added in monotone, keeping her narrowed eyes on the assassin a minute more before turning back to whacking the bag with precision._

 _"_ _So the point, and you know it Sky. I mean, what's so different about Clint and Cap that makes you want to wait? Aside from the fact that Rogers is practically old school. And I mean, old, old school." Nat pushed herself to sit up, a twinkle of a tease playing on her lips as she intently watching her friend fight the bag like one of her foes._

 _Upon hearing her friend's question, she pulled away from the swinging bag, panting as she stared at it in thought. Why? Why was she waiting? She was no whore, but she had slept around a bit. Thank goodness not as much as Tony, but a few. There was nothing wrong with that but why did she feel like she wanted to wait with Steve?_

 _She had only been dating Clint for 3 months before they climbed into bed after a night of partying. She would totally blame the alcohol for that decision, but who was she kidding? She was or had been attracted to Clint at the time, she couldn't blame herself for that decision or find it in herself to be ashamed for it. Cause she wasn't._

 _"_ _I really don't know." Skylar answered with a sight, using the balls of her palms to massage her temples._

 _"_ _He means a lot to you, doesn't he? That's why you're waiting." Nat suddenly got serious as she gazed over at her friend, watching the many expressions cross her face._

 _Skylar on the other hand, sighed, glancing at Tasha in defeat before groaning._

 _"_ _Nothing can get past you, can it?" Skylar spat back jokingly while Nat smirked proudly._

 _"_ _Nothing." Tasha brushed off easily._

* * *

From that moment on, Clint knew how much the Cap meant to Sky. No matter how his feelings for Sky never changed, he could tell that what they had at one time and what the two had now, we're two totally different feelings. He could tell by the way Steve looked at Sky, even when he thought no one was looking. It was the same way he used to look at Sky before they had their brief coupling. Even the way Steve moved around Sky like a choreographed dance. They moved for each other.

And as terrible as it sounded, especially at a time like this, Clint would find himself burning with jealousy and defeat, knowing the one woman he had cared about for the first time in a long time, was happy with someone else.

But even against all odds, he'd go to the ends of the earth just to kill those who threatened her.

* * *

 **So, just a little backstory on Sky's and Clint's previous love life. Brief but I wanted to add a little insight into what they had together. Just a little, not a lot. I may consider adding a bit more info in following chapters as I love creating drama lol**

 **Anyways, as I said at the beginning, I'm gonna be with family all weekend and possibly into next week. I'm not sure if I'll get around to posting next Sunday since I don't know what the plans are for funeral times and whatnot, but I'll try my hardest to at least keep you updated.**

 **And as always, thank you guys for your continuous support. I can't say it enough. You guys are absolutely wonderful!**


	13. Chapter 13

**I had a bit of time today, away from all the family stress, to whip up something quickly. I know I say this a lot, but this time I'm serious, I'm not proud of this chapter, at all. I was planning on it going in a different direction, it went in the opposite direction then whipped into another completely different direction. But this chapter needed to happen. That's all I can agree on at this point. And because of that, this is one of my shortest updates.**

 **There are some points in this chapter that I'm pleased with, but certain things didn't happen the way I wanted them to.**

 **Enjoy this bit anyways! Lol**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Marvel**

* * *

As they had assumed, Fury had showed up in record time, barking out orders and questions at anyone that was nearby. Unfortunately for him, not one person was in the answering mood when he strolled into the shared living space of Avenger Tower.

 _Knock Knock_

Someone began pounding on Steve's door as he stepped out of the bathroom, having just emerged from a shower that he had hoped would help just a little. Tossing the towel onto the bed when they knocked again, a bit harder, he walked over and yanked the door open with more force then needed. Clint completely ignored the annoyed look the super soldier was sending him and stepped back from the door with his arms crossed over his chest.

"Fury's here, Cap." Clint said in monotone, an obvious irritation on his voice at the mention of the man.

"He's insisting on seeing Sky, whether she's awake or not." Clint added, watching the way Steve's shoulders tensed in defense.

"He's also insisting on answers to what happened last night. He refuses to leave till then." Clint then added, turning on his heels to quickly head back to where Fury was badgering the others, Steve close on his heels.

SHIELD or no SHIELD, he wasn't going to let anyone near her.

As the pair emerged into the living area, where shouting could be heard, they weren't the least bit surprised to walk in and see Tony and Fury going head to head with Natasha and Maria standing nearby.

"You expect me to just hand over my cousin to you?!" Tony shouted, anger radiating off the shorter man while Fury looked at him with all the fury he could muster.

"Yes! She's dangerous, not only to herself but everyone else!" Fury commanded, not noticing how Steve pushed Clint aside to join the argument as he brushed up against Tony, getting in Fury's face.

"You touch her and I'll dismantle you before you have a chance to breath." Steve hissed threateningly into the man's face, watching in pride as mild shock crossed the darker man's features. Natasha and Sam quickly stepped forward, grabbing each of Steve's arms to stop him from bringing his threat to life.

Once Fury had brushed off his initial surprise at the sudden appearance of the super soldier, he plastered a stoic look on.

"Cap, I understand both Tony and your concern with this matter and with Skylar, but she is a danger. She will be safe in a disclosed SHEILD location far from civilization." Fury pressed in seriousness only causing Tony to snort.

"Disclosed SHEILD location? No offense, but offense given, we don't trust SHEILD, especially when it no longer exists, none of us do. After she was taken the first time, I'm not going to willingly hand her over to anyone, even the likes of you." Tony stood stalk still beside Steve, his face daring Fury to live up to his words.

Fury could see that he wasn't getting through to any of them as the others quickly agreed with both men.

"How about we sit down and talk about what happened last night? Would that be alright?" Fury then asked sarcastically, gesturing to the new couch that was laid out in front of them. Tony and Steve quickly glanced at each other before the super soldier sighed in defeat, turning his back to the dark skinned man, heading to the couch with the others close behind.

Once everyone was situated around the couch, Fury glanced around, wondering who was going to begin first. Surprisingly, Natasha was the one to speak up, seeing as no one else was making the effort to do so. Not going into complete detail, Natasha explained what happened the night before, everyone turning to Steve to input what had happened before she had left their shared bedroom.

It was quiet for some time as Fury took time to digest everything they had told him.

"You said she dismantled your suit?" The first thing Fury had asked, they were not surprised that it had something to do with her growing abilities.

"Like a puzzle." Tony answered in monotone, still having a hard time himself, coming to terms with what his cousin did.

"Did she break it?" Fury then asked, wanting to know more on the subject.

"No, last I checked. She pulled it apart, piece by piece, kicked my ass out and then put it back together without so much as blinking." Tony explained, lifting his scotch glass up to hold against the growing bruise on his head.

"Friday even mentioned she attempted to run her out of the system." Tony then added, surprising practically everyone, since he hadn't had the chance to share that particular news.

"Wait…Friday?" Clint asked shocked as Tony nodded, leaning back into the couch with his eyes shut.

"So she was messing with your tech and you didn't think to tell us?" Steve was peeved that the man hadn't thought to mention that bit.

"Hey! It's been a long night! I'm still trying to come to terms with my cousin's freaky enhancements from earlier plus being thrown through a wall by my own suit. Please, forgive me for forgetting to inform you." Tony spat sarcastically at the Captain who was now seething.

"Technology Manipulation isn't the only ability for Ms. Stark to showcase last night." Vision's voice cut through the tension like butter, striking the former director's attention. Tony on the other hand, silently glared at the android, wishing he had never brought up the last bit that he had found out after noticing the drastic change in their newest member.

"Do tell." Fury gestured for the android to continue, which he did, not noticing the way both super soldier and billionaire, were glaring daggers at the android.

"She input visions into Ms. Maximoff's mind." Vision gestured carefully as Fury looked at him, obviously completely confused.

"She's able to tap into your mind, it would seem. Sort of like Wanda but we aren't sure how far it goes." Natasha gently added as Fury nodded, locking his hands together in front of him.

"And we still don't know why she woke up the way she did? As far as I remember, you informed me just yesterday that she was healing perfectly fine and was socializing." Fury glanced over at Natasha who sighed, running a hand through her hair.

"We don't know what happened. She didn't recognize any of us." Natasha whispered, staring hard at the glass coffee table sitting in front of them.

"My previous offer still stands, I think she'd be safer…" Fury began to offer SHEILDS help once more before Tony and Steve cut him off.

"Forget it. Nope." They both stopped the man from speaking.

"It would be for the good of both herself and you all. What if she has other abilities that we have yet to learn about?" Maria spoke for the first time from her spot behind Fury.

"It is a possibility, especially when we're receiving word from an insider that Hydra is bound determined to recreate that super soldier serum that doctor gave you 70 years ago. I would not be the least bit surprised with how long she was in their care. We don't know what sort of freaky stuff they put into her." Fury added, peering over at Steve who stiffened at the mention of the serum. When no one made a move to say anything and continued to stare in various areas of the room, he held Tony's eyes just a bit longer.

"Tony, I understand your concern but if by some chance Hydra knew what she was capable of, there is no way they are going to sit by silently while she is here. She is way too valuable to them now." Fury decided to push once more, knowing that with the amount of time Skylar had been under Hydra, they knew what she was capable of. They wouldn't sit back and allow something that valuable to walk away.

"Let them come." Tony threatened.

"We won't sit back silently and let them take her. Never again." Steve added in a deep growl.

If they wanted her, they'd have to take her over his dead body.

* * *

 **So, that's as far as I was able to whip up this week. Still in the planning stages of my uncles funeral so I've barely had time to myself to do much. But I'm still grateful for your patience through this time. Not one of you complained about me not updating on Sunday, which I can't begin to explain, helped more than you know. But, I'm the type of person that has to either be constantly updating or I'll lose all inspiration and dump the story. Believe me, that has happened before. Once I go too long with no updating, the story is trashed.**

 **Anyways, I had to bring Fury into the story at some point so I figured I'd bring him in before Skylar woke up again.**

 **So, that's that. Hope you guys enjoyed this chap like the others.**

 **Oh! And one more thing before I clock out, I wanted to ask my many followers, is there anything in specific you are wanting to happen in the story? I want to take all your opinions and plot ideas into account. I really do! So no matter what it is, send it my way. I want to know what you guys want to happen. And just for clarification, it doesn't have to be something that has to immediately happen in the story, it could be something that I can slip in further down the road. I do have a bunch of my own ideas, but I love to hear what you guys would like to see also!**


	14. Chapter 14

**Yes, I'm updating early again. Yes it mean I won't be here this weekend either lol. I'm sorry ya'll. It's been crazy with the family lately but I'm bound determined to get at least one chapter out each week, no matter the day. But once this funeral business blows over and family goes back to normal, I'll be back to posting strictly on Sundays, unless I'm feeling generous lol**

 **Aside from that, I hope you all like this update.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Marvel**

* * *

Light flooded her system as she felt herself grow lighter and lighter. No longer feeling like a lump of lead, she took in a deep yet ragged breath as a familiar yet unfamiliar warmth began to cloud her.

She fought to get her bearings together as her eyes squeezed together, feeling them move before slowly peeling her lids apart, welcoming the bright florescent light above her. Immediately, she shut her eyes, squinting back against the offending brightness that had suddenly attacked her as soon as she woke up.

Woke up. Her stomach dropped at the simple realization that she had 'woken up' before her eyes widened, her heart pounding as she shot up in the bed, realizing she wasn't in her own bed up in the tower. Eyes wide and panicked, her breath coming in and out in short intervals, her head whipped from side to side, gazing around through fog filled eyes for Hydra. Hydra had gotten their hands on her once more. She was being tied down, chained down and experimented on.

"Sky! Sky! You're okay. You're at the Tower still!" A voice began to shout as her now violet eyes shot over and to the opposite side of the glass.

Glass. A glass cage. Her heart beat picked up, sending an alarm ringing through what she could recognize to be her cousin's lab in the Tower. No Hydra. Hydra didn't have her. She was still safe, still out of their grasp, with her family.

"Sky! Your fine! I'm going to go get Tony! I'll be right back." Bruce begged through the glass, slamming his fists on it a few more times, wanting to be sure that she had heard him before he turned and ran for the door, shouting something at FRIDAY as he did.

Glass cage. Her mind quickly went back to the fact that she was laying on a hospital bed, in a glass cage at the far end of the lab. What the hell happened?

She yanked the sheet off her form, seeing that she was still in her torn pajamas before it finally set in on her. She stared frozen down at the healing gash on her thigh, one she knew she didn't have before she had gone to sleep the previous night.

 _"_ _He's just like me you know. He enjoys how easy you submit to him, how easily you bend over for us. You complied so easily. Just like you did me." She shut her eyes at the thought, shaking them away when she knew he was just trying to get under her skin, like he always did._

 _"_ _He's nothing like you." She hissed through gritted teeth, kicking out when one of the beings made a swipe at her leg._

 _"_ _Oh, but he is. All males are like me. He'll make you happy, protect you, pleasure you and then when you least expect it, he'll change. He'll take you the same way I did. Watch proudly as you scream and writhe under him. The way you submit to us." He whispered, stepping back till his back was completely against the glass of the window._

 _"_ _Shut up." She warned, screaming in pain when one of the beings clawed at her leg, shredding her pajama pants._

 _Panting heavily, her eyes whipped around the room, unable to believe what she was seeing before she heard something that completely set her off._

 _"_ _He doesn't love you. No one does." Unable to stop herself, she let all her anger completely consume her before a pulse shot off of her form like a bright light, sending all the dark beings through the walls and out of the room screaming in utter pain while the man behind her was sent through the shattering window._

 _She collapsed to the ground on her hands and knees, pain slowly beginning to crawl up her spine and into her head before a shock of unimaginable pain chattered her consciousness._

Her eyes widened further, her hands clenching into fists as the previous night's happenings flooded to the forefront of her mind. She had hoped and prayed it was only a dream, one that she was waking up from now, but it wasn't. She had truly seen the face of the man that tormented most of her childhood.

She had traveled into the other dimension. Now she remembered what Hydra had truly made her into.

That's what Hydra was breeding her for. To be able to travel into the other dimension in hopes to bring more weapons into their disposal. It had been one of the Hydra scientist's theories that if it were possible, to travel into another dimension, they could use Sky as a bridge of sorts to bring even more weapons into their hands, to take over the world.

Slowly, memories of the first time that had happened began to crawl back up her spine and into her head, realizing that they had tested this theory more than once while she was with them. Her hands shot up to her head, holding her palms over her ears as the beeping of her accelerated heartbeat continued to echo through the room.

"No, no, no, no, no." She whimpered repeatedly as she shook in denial.

Hydra hadn't known what they were creating her into, originally, but seeing that she was strong and resilient against their torture and experiments, they had expected something extraordinary to come through. That's exactly what they got. Though they couldn't recreate the super soldier serum, they created something even more.

A dimensional bridge. Her.

The first few times that it had happened, strangely enough when Sky had been completely oblivious to what was happening, once Hydra insisted on answers to why she would get so erratic during her resting states, she had no choice but to explain to them what she had seen. Hydra thought she was slowly losing her mind to their various injections, but when she was able to pass on a message of sorts from a man she had met in the other dimension, they were struck speechless.

A message directly from Dr. Zola.

Hydra immediately realized what they had created and from that day forward, they trained her to use it continuously, passing messages back and forth through the dimension, to what they had found out to be the afterlife.

She had spoken to Dr. Zola.

She had seen him.

A shiver of disgust ran through her spine at that thought.

What had she done?

* * *

Bruce all but broke through the elevator door and into the shared living room where everyone was still meeting with Fury.

Upon hearing the loud noise of someone running into absolutely everything possible, the entire room turned at the ready, looking on in tension as Bruce ran in, out of breath. Why he hadn't just told Friday to deliver the message for him, he hadn't realized that option till he was bursting through the elevator door onto the floor? He silently reminded himself, that possibly having FRIDAY deliver messages in the future, was probably a better idea.

"Everything alright Dr. Banner?" Fury's voice was the first to break through the haze of being completely out of shape. Though it was his voice first, Bruce sought out the billionaire along with the super soldier who was sitting just across from him, unsure if he should announce the woman awake a few floors down with Fury in the room.

Shaking the thoughts from his head when he realized Sky was still panicking, he opened his mouth to speak only for FRIDAY's voice to startle everyone.

"Sorry for the interruption sir, but we have a situation." FRIDAY spoke as Tony sat up slightly straighter in his seat.

"What is it?" Steve was the one to ask, his nerves already on edge.

"Ms. Skylar is awake, sir. Her heartrate is accelerating at a dangerous rate." FRIDAY answered as the entire room flew into a frenzy, standing from their seats quickly.

Bruce sputtered his lips in defeat as the room completely ignored him and made a beeline for the nearest exit, anyway to get downstairs as quickly as possible.

* * *

She silently counted from 1 to 100 in her mind, her consciousness reminding her of everything she had done once she awoke from her dimension travel. She had forgotten her family. Her friends. She attacked them. She threw Tony through a wall with his suit. Oh God. She tortured Wanda with her greatest fear. Losing Pietro. Her brother. She let a sob bubble out loudly from between her lips, pulling her knees to her chest while burying her face into her knees.

They saw what kind of monster she was. She almost infiltrated FRIDAY when the female AI had attempted to stop her. There was no way Tony wouldn't have noticed that.

She dug into Wanda's mind and used her own abilities against her. Someone she was growing close to, she had hurt.

Last but not least, she pulled Tony's suit apart like child's play and used it to attack him.

They knew. They all knew what sort of monster they had created her into. She had been determined to hide the other abilities Hydra injected into her, for as long as humanely possible. But from where she stood, she barely lasted a week before all her secrets were out in the open.

No wonder she was in a cage. She was a danger. To everyone, even herself. She would have put herself into a cage if they hadn't beat her to it.

She was a monster. A weapon designed to kill.

Steve practically yanked Tony out of the way once the elevator made it into the lab. As the glass door slid open into the main lab area, the sound of the alarm blaring engulfed them, causing most of them to hold their hands over their ears in attempt to protect them from the high pitch squealing.

Ignoring the pain in his ears, Steve ran down the line of desks and towards the glass dome, yanking on the handle only for it to completely stay in place. Panicked, he yanked it once more, cementing his fears that the door wouldn't open for him. He slid across to the glass in front of the woman curled up in the bed, he banged on the glass a few times, begging it to break under his assault, wanting nothing more than to pull her into his arms.

"Sky! Skylar! Tony open this door! Open it up! Now!" Voice shouted as everyone crowded around the glass dome, watching in horror as Skylar continued to close in on herself, her sobs easy to hear over the still blaring alarm.

Tony rushed to the door, rushing to the put the security code into the door, cursing when it blinked red when he pinned in the wrong numbers. Quickly, he did it once more, relaxing when it beeped in welcome, the pressure of the room released a hiss as the door unlocked and slid open.

Steve didn't wait for an invitation and pushed his way in before anyone even saw the super soldier moving.

"Doll!" Steve shouted, running towards her bed and pulling her into his chest, his nose buried into her soft platinum hair.

* * *

Steve.

She could hear his voice calling to her, his begging for her to look at him. Natasha. Clint. Tony. Bruce. Sam. She could hear them. They were here.

She was going to hurt them. That was her purpose. To kill them. To destroy them for Hydra.

She cried harder as the thought of seeing them lifeless in front of her, haunted her deepest thoughts.

Hearing a new sound enter the dome, she stiffened at the sound of something hissing before the clear sound of running brushed through her head. Arms, strong warm arms enveloped her shaking figure before the familiar scent of the man she loved took hold of her mind.

"It's alright doll. You're safe. I got ya." Steve whispered into her hair, his arms tightening further around her as she felt his lips descend onto her forehead.

"You're fine sweetheart. Safe." He continued to repeat over and over as more bodies began to make their presence known around her.

Her family.

* * *

It had been hours since they had been alerted to Skylar's conscious state and still she had not moved from Steve's arms, which was both good and bad. She didn't feel threatened like she had been the first time she woke up and she clearly remembered him or she would have attempted to fight him off by now.

At this point, Steve was counting his blessings, just happy that she had remembered him.

Tony sighed as he took another glance at the super soldier holding his cousin inside the protective dome before turning to the others who were now sitting around a random desk in the lab. Everyone was silently sitting feet from the dome, waiting for Skylar to be alright enough to approach.

"Sir." FRIDAY's voice rang through the lab.

"What is it now?" Tony groaned, unsure of how much more excitement he could take.

"I have been informed that Thor is on his way back to the Tower." FRIDAY informed as everyone stiffened, realizing they hadn't informed the god of Skylar's condition since he left. They knew, the god was going to be pissed.

"Shit." Tony muttered in realization, leaning forward onto the desk to hold his face in his hands.

"I'll go meet him, see if I can calm him down before he gets down here." Natasha volunteered to attempt in calming the god down before everything went to hell when he comes bursting through the door.

Tony nodded in his silent thanks, waving her off before said woman quickly shuffled out the door and into the elevator to the roof.

"How long are you planning on waiting for her to come around?" Fury's voice broke through the growing tension in the room. Clint and Sam turned their glare from the closed dome door to the man with the question, wondering how long they would have to glare at the man before he combusted into flames.

Tony on the other hand, didn't hold anything back.

"As long as she needs. I'm in no rush." Tony fired back, challenging the man across from him.

"As long as she needs? That woman has answers to many questions we have. We don't have all the time in the world to wait for her to be okay when she could be harboring serious Hydra Intel." Fury shot back, standing from his seat, intent on heading into that dome and shooting off questions at the woman in hopes that she would answer.

Though, nothing in Stark Tower would go his way it seemed.

Quickly Sam and Clint cut the dark-skinned man off before he could even make an attempt to reach for the dome door.

"You're not going anywhere near her." Clint shook his head threateningly, his arms crossed over his chest in a sign that showed he wasn't messing around.

"Sky's been through enough shit. She doesn't need you crawling up her ass too." Sam spat back, standing shoulder to shoulder with the archer.

Both Fury and Maria made to open their mouths and threaten the pair to move only for the sound of shattering glass to interrupt them. Everyone shot around, instantly marking the loud footsteps that followed the sound of shattering glass, said footsteps belonging to the group's Norse god.

"Why is it no one thought to inform me of Lady Skylar's condition?!" His voice bellowed causing everyone to shoot out of their seats at the ready.

Natasha ran in soon after, instantly noticing the broken glass before seeing the unamused look Tony was giving her.

"I tried!" She defended herself, everyone knowing how hard it was to get through a pissed off god.

"Hey Meat Swing! Welcome back!" Tony shouted with obvious sarcasm on his voice, though his voice was quickly shot down as Thor marched up to him and got into his face.

"Brother Stark. Why was I not informed? YOU told me you would send word if she awoke!" He shouted, anger coming off of him in waves.

"Thor, if I could explain on Tony's behalf….." Bruce stepped in hesitantly only meeting Thor's annoyed glance.

"I trusted you. All of you." He seethed, glaring at each and everyone of them before his eyes landed on the glass dome where the Cap was holding a frail Skylar in his arms. Quickly his heart plummeted with the worst thoughts. Why was she in a cage? Why did everyone look exhausted? Finally he noticed the various injuries many of his team mates held before finally noticing both the dark-skinned man and Tony's assistant.

"Lady Romanoff." Tony announced, softer than before the woman slid up beside him with a knowing nod.

"I told you." She answered, settling the horrid feeling in his stomach that the woman had been originally lying about what had happened in his absence.

"And Lady Skylar….." His eyes turned soft, his grip on his hammer only tightening as his blues landed on the small girl curled up into the Captain's side.

"So far, we're assuming she remembers us. She didn't fight us off this time." Clint answered from his standpoint beside the door.

"But last night…." Thor looked over to Tony for answers.

"We're not sure what happened last night. She woke up in attack mode without any recognition for us. She put us through a warzone without trying." Tony sighed in defeat, rubbing a hand down his face before wincing as his hand touched the bruise on his chin.

Thor then silently turned his attention back to the girl, his mind slowly working up what he had missed in the last week of being away.

"And, she is healthy?" He asked hopeful while Bruce slid up beside the god's other side.

"She has more enhancements aside from that telekinesis, but yes, hypothetically, she's physically healthy." Bruce explained to the god slowly.

"Technology manipulation and something similar to Wanda's mind control, but we are unsure to what degree it goes." Natasha added carefully from the other side of the god, her eyes never leaving the woman's frame.

"And what about those two?" Thor than asked, slowly noticing the tense feeling growing in the room, concerning a specific two that was standing near the dome.

"Fury insists on questioning Sky though she just woke up. She is in no frame of mind to answer." Sam glared at the man standing before him, secretly wanting the man to push past him just so he would have a reason to attack the bald man.

"Before any of you jump to conclusions, this is in the utmost importance that I get answers from Skylar. She may know things we don't." Fury put his hands up in defense, though he didn't care to defend himself when he had done nothing wrong in his opinion.

"Lady Skylar is in need of rest and away from your bantering. You step foot in that dome and Brother Wilson and Brother Barton will be the least of your worries." Thor slowly stepped up to challenge the black man who stared up at him unfazed.

"And as I said before, I understand where you all are coming from, but Agent Stark could have answers to things we have been searching for, like secret Hydra compounds, their plans, anything we can use against them to destroy them." Fury turned to address the room in irritation.

"First things first, it is not Agent Stark, its Skylar. As her living guardian, I am pulling her from your ex-SHIELD programs and into my protection." Stark slid from his stool, stalking over to stand beside Thor who was rooted to the ground in front of the dome.

Fury in turn snorted at the shorter man's announcement and rolled his eyes.

"Guardian? Stark, she's not a minor. She makes her own decisions and from where I'm standing, technically she's still part of SHEILD." Fury crossed his arms over his chest, wanting to see what more the billionaire could throw in his face.

"Well, 'technically', SHEILD doesn't exist. No SHIELD, no agent. Check mate." Tony mocked proudly as Fury's eye twitched, wanting nothing more than to knock the man down a level or two.

* * *

While everyone argued outside the dome, Steve silently sat there, continuing to run his hand up and down Skylar's back, softly whispering loving things to her as she silently cried. He wasn't sure why she was crying, but seeing as she hadn't thrown him through the glass, like she had done, now two times, he figured it was safe to hold her until she was ready to speak.

"Steve?" Her small voice broke him from his intent staring at the argument happening just beyond the glass and down to those chocolate orbs he loved so much.

"Hi." He whispered down with a soft smile, lifting a hand to brush her remaining tears.

"I'm so sorry." She whispered as more tears spilled from her eyes.

"I hurt you. I hurt everyone. I'm so sorry." She broke down once more, burying her face back into his already soaked shirt.

Steve's heart broke at the sob she let loose and held her tighter to his frame.

"Doll, it's alright. We're all alright. You didn't know what you were doing." He reassured her though he secretly wanted to know why she hadn't remembered them.

"I'm a monster." She broke down, sending his blood running cold at the title she gave herself.

"No you're not. Don't say that. You are a kind and caring woman who was taken advantage of. This isn't your fault." He buried his face into her shoulder, kissing the skin that was peeking out from her shirt.

"They made me this. They made me into a monster to hurt you. To hurt all of you." She sobbed out, gathering the attention of everyone on the other side of the glass.

"But you won't, you know why?" He whispered, pulling his eyes from those now watching him and back down to the woman in his arms.

"Because you're Skylar Stark. The most selfless, strong willed and intelligent woman I know. You are too strong to let something like this change you, to hold you down and command you. You're a Stark. You would never bend to the level of Hydra and do their will. You are your own person and I love you, we all do." He whispered, kissing her cheek before resting his own on her head.

She felt like she had let down her family. Her mother. Her father. Her friends. Steve. She had vowed to never hurt them and she did just that.

But hearing Steve's words, she realized something.

He was right. When did she turn into such a pushover?

* * *

 **I'll be away this weekend, flying out to bring in some family for my uncles funeral so I won't be on this Sunday. I'm off of work today but I'll be back at work tomorrow and Friday, then flying out Friday afternoon and won't be back till Monday morning at the earliest.**

 **Hope this chapter will be able to hold you all over till I get back, maybe on Tuesday. Maybeeeeee**

 **Leave your reviews! I love you hear from you all!**


	15. Chapter 15

**First things first, I need to apologize for the late update without any sort of warning. I didn't expect to be so busy this past week, but with my uncles funeral coming up this coming Sunday on the 26** **th** **, I've had to take double shifts every day just so I could spend time with family flying in all next week. Believe me, I'm crazy tired and exhausted, I'm surprised I'm awake now to update for you but I needed to, especially for all you lovely supporters.**

 **Also, Father's Day came around and it was also my cousins 1 year passing memorial today, so I've barely had time to myself this weekend.**

 **Anyways, I had to work a double shift today but I'm here now, rushing to get this chapter out to you all. Hope it lives up to your expectations.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Marvel**

* * *

With a Norse god standing guard outside her protective dome, Fury had no choice but to back down and patiently wait for his chance to talk to the woman. As much as it irked him to do so, he had no choice with the Avengers as her personal bodyguards at the moment.

"You scared us kid. All of us." Tony's soft voice surprised her as she glanced up from Steve's hand in hers to her cousin sitting at the foot of her temporary hospital bed. Meeting his eyes, she instantly glanced away when she noticed the various injuries that littered his body, obviously from her.

"Hey, I'm fine Sky. Fit as a fiddle. This is nothing. You remember what I looked like after New York? This is child's play compared to that." Tony had meant for it to lighten the mood, but it only stood to make her feel even worse for what she did. Steve glared at the man who instantly shut his mouth and rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. Well, he was never good at speaking to girls, properly. Why was now any different?

It had hours since Fury had showed up and finally Skylar had come around from her near panic attack. Thankfully too. Steve wasn't sure how much more excitement his heart and mind could take within 24 hours. Super soldier serum or not, there was only so much a person could take, and sitting beside a woman that completely held his heart in a tight grip, one that was suffering in all shapes and forms, wasn't doing him any favors. If it wasn't for the serum, he was sure he'd have a full head of gray hair right now.

"Why didn't you remember any of us last night?" Steve asked in concern, handing her a glass of water that she eagerly took. She sipped the glass, her eyes flashing back and forth between both men standing on either side of her bed. Swallowing the liquid, she held the glass in her lap before sighing.

"I don't know. There were times when I'd wake up with…..them and suddenly not know where I was, even though logically I should have known where I was." She muttered the last part, still finding it hard to say 'Hydra' without the bile rising up her throat.

Steve and Tony on the other hand, glanced at each other, both men's eyebrows were furrowed in concern at her newest confession.

"It must be a side effect that is the only explanation to memory loss. Bruce said with mind sweeps and injections, temporary memory loss isn't impossible." Tony offhandedly explained while he began to pace back and forth across the small area.

Skylar watched her cousin pace, her eyes following him back and forth as he wore a hole into the floor before meeting Steve's baby blues. He stared at her blankly for a moment before suddenly realizing she was looking directly at him. He shook off the feeling of despair and passed her a soft smile, going as far as to bending over to peck her forehead sweetly. Once he pulled away, her eyes quickly found his face, his features exposing how he was truly feeling behind that smile.

"I'm assuming Fury is here to interrogate me." She suddenly asked as she pushed herself to sit up more, tugging the sheet over her legs.

"You assume correct. That man has been here since dawn." Tony stopped in his pacing, glaring out at the man silently conversing with Maria beside him.

"So you gonna tell us what happened last night or are you planning on building the suspense all day?" Tony spun on his heels, his expression serious as he eyed her.

"Tony!" Steve scolded outraged that the billionaire had just bluntly stepped into interrogate the woman that was clearly still unstable.

"No, Steve, it's alright. You all deserve to know the truth." She grabbed at Steve's wrist when she noticed him take a threatening step towards Tony.

"See, she's willing to talk." Tony gestured towards her while Steve snorted, taking his seat beside her once more.

Skylar knew she couldn't keep her secrets forever, especially from her family. But she was hesitant to talk to Fury, most of all. She had been on enough missions and interrogations to know how questioning went with this sort of thing. SHEILD always got their answers, one way or another. Whether through physical or mental manipulation, SHEILD had their ways, ways she knew too much about. Just that thought alone, sent a shiver down her spine in apprehension and mild fear. What she had to tell them, was nothing they wanted to hear, she was sure of that.

Fury saw her as a danger. A clear danger. Not only to herself but to the Avengers and the world. A clear danger that couldn't be controlled unless physically locked up.

He needed to be sure that she was still on their side even with the influence of the abilities Hydra gave her. But was she? Was she really when she woke up at random times not recognizing people she knew all her life? She wasn't even sure she was safe to be around the Avengers. What was stopping her from having another episode like she did last night?

Slowly Sky lifted her head, looking over to the 3 men standing guard outside her door, a soft smile blooming onto her face.

They would protect her, even after everything she had done to them. After everything she had withheld and lied about. They would still put themselves before her and protect her from whoever and whatever.

She felt a piece of her heart break and fall at that thought

She needed to tell them as much as she could remember. Everything from Hydra training her, what they were injecting her with, what they made her do, what she was capable of doing and about her dimension travels. That was one thing she needed to tell them. Well, one thing she needed to tell Tony. Steve. There was something she had been dreading to tell him since she woke up. After her dimension slip up, memories that had been buried deep in her mind, thanks to Hydra, returned. There was someone in Hydra that had been like a friend to her, sort of. He wasn't like the others but like her. Hydra tortured him and turned him into their personal weapon. Once she recognized the man, she had cried, hard, hard enough that Hydra had put her under ice once again as crying was a sign of weakness, something they were not going to stand for. But that didn't stop her once she was brought back out of the ice.

She couldn't forget a face that meant so much to the man she loved.

He was his brother, his friend, his family.

Bucky.

She knew him. She spoke with him. Trained with him. They grew close.

He was her friend. Someone that had tried to protect her on numerous accounts while in Hydra.

She knew where he was.

"Willing isn't exactly the word I'd use, more like you all deserve to know what you're dealing with." She met Tony's eyes, knowing that he was buzzing with anticipation to what she had to say.

"Doll, you know we wouldn't force you to tell us anything, especially if it makes you uncomfortable." Steve promised from beside her as he lifted her hand to peck the back. She smiled down at him, squeezing his hand in hers before nodding.

"I know, but you all deserve to know, especially everything I put you all through last night. I see the injuries, I'm not blind. I was brutal." She lightly joked though it did nothing to ease the guilt festering in her chest.

"Brutal isn't exactly the word I'd use…." Tony sarcastically added as he reached over for his left shoulder to give it a quick squeeze.

"I get the point 'Anthony'." Skylar spat at him quickly while he lifted his hands in defense.

"But now isn't a good time, I want to tell all of you together, well aside from Fury." She nudged her head in fury's direction as both men looked over together.

"So you plan on smuggling everyone in here without Fury noticing?" Tony quirked a challenging brow in her direction as she snorted, shaking her head.

"For being a genius, you are a complete idiot sometimes." She teased sending Steve chuckling from beside her at Tony's look of mild outrage.

"I'll speak to Fury." She answered with a defeated sigh before Tony could respond to her little jab.

"But….." Steve stood from his seat, knowing full well that she did not want to speak with the man.

"It's alright, I don't plan on telling him anything. I'm pretty good at whipping up something to feed his curiosity." She smiled gently over at the super soldier who continued to blink in confusion.

"Wait, are you saying you're going to lie to Fury? I think the apocalypse is coming. Skylar Stark lying is unheard of." Tony got dramatic as he dropped to his seat, teasingly fanning his face with his hands.

Skylar on the other quickly chucked one of her extra pillows at his face before glaring hard at him.

"I know what will happen if I tell that man the truth. I'll be in a secret SHIELD holding cell under surveillance for the 'world's protection'." She hissed at him, immediately noticing the way both men's faces hardened at the thought.

"But I feel that you all need to know everything about me, that can't happen until I tell Fury and he leaves. You know how determined that man is for juicy news." Skylar's eyes met Bruce's worried ones through the glass.

Tony and Steve peered at each other silently before meeting her eyes once more.

"Sir?" Friday's voice rang through the dome and lab, startling everyone that had been silently sitting around.

"Yes? What is it?" Tony was getting really tired of surprises.

"Dr. Cho has arrived and is heading down to your lab as we speak." Friday's voice added as Skylar lifted her head to the ceiling of the dome, remembering the nights events.

"Friday." She addressed before Tony could open his mouth to speak.

"Yes Ms. Stark." Her computerized voice answered.

"I'm sorry about what I did last night to you, Friday." She apologized, feeling Steve's hand shut tightly around her hand.

"It is alright Ms. Stark. I am unharmed and well." Friday's voice, though monotone, seemed to reassure her just a bit that she hadn't completely damaged the AI.

Before either men could inquire about what she had apologized for, Dr. Cho had strolled in with her group. The Asian woman said a quick greeting to Fury who nodded back silently.

Even as Skylar was escorted from the dome, Fury could get nowhere near her as she was completely surrounded by Avengers tall and short. It infuriated him to no end as the woman with answers stood within feet of him though he couldn't do anything about it.

Skylar was soon placed on the same updated CT scanner they used when they first found her before Dr. Cho did an entire scan of her form while everyone silently watched from behind Dr. Cho.

"So, what's the verdict doc?" Clint voice rang through the quiet air. Dr. Cho on the other hand, silently sat in her seat, watching intently as the full body scan began to show on her screen. Tony, Bruce and Steve all stepped forward when the complete scan was out, some narrowing their eyes for anything of interest, while a specific soldier didn't know what he was looking for, only silently hoping to not see anything new from the last one.

"And the updated brain scan?" Bruce then inquired as Dr. Cho pushed out of her seat, reaching out to the new scan of said woman's brain.

It was silent again as the doctor had yet to speak of anything she was seeing. She stared down at the brain scan in her hand, her mouth softly muttering random things under her breath while her eyes furrowed in confusion and mild surprise.

"Is…is something wrong?" Sam was the one to ask as he glanced at the fidgeting super soldier beside him.

"I'm not sure how to explain this." Dr. Cho finally spoke as she clipped the scan up for everyone to see, though it looked about the same to the last scan she had done.

"This is the scan we just did and this…..this one is the one we did when she was first brought in." She pulled out a separate scan from a file, clipping it up beside the newest one.

Everyone silently whipped their eyes back and forth between the scans, digging for any differences, though it was easily caught by about everyone.

"Her brain activity…" Bruce pointed out, his eyes widening as he glanced back and forth unsure if his eyes were playing tricks on him.

"It grew." Steve's panicked voice pricked through the air as he stepped forward to get a better look.

"Is it possible for a Midgardian mind to grow like that?" Thor asked confused as Dr. Cho rubbed the bridge of her nose.

"Like I mentioned the first time, it is rare for someone to use more than 10% of their brain, but Skylar is a special case. When she first came in, she was at about 90%, give or take a few but now…I'm a little speechless to say that her brain activity has grown higher. My best guess would put it at 95% now." She gestured back and forth from both scans, her eyes unable to pull away from them in astonishment.

Dr. Cho had only ever read about this sort of occurrence in medical books or in movies, but to see it in person, her mind was having a hard time registering the reality of it.

Skylar could access 95% of her mind.

With that much access to her mind, what did that mean for Skylar? What was her mind capable of?

* * *

 **So, hope it was alright for you. I'm running on about 8 hours of sleep in 3 days lol I'm surprised I'm awake right now. I'll try and work on the next chapter sometime this work whenever I get some time off of work. Funeral is on Sunday so I'll either get the next chapter out sometime Saturday night or Monday. Hope that's alright with you all!**

 **I also have been bouncing back and forth with the idea of Bucky being some sort of support pillar for Skylar when she was with Hydra. I felt it fit perfectly as I've been planning for this story to slip into Civil War sooner or later.**

 **Thank you for being patient with me. You don't know how much I appreciate it!**

 **Oh! And I know I mentioned it in a previous A/N but I wanted to put it out there again but I wanted to know all your input on what you want to see happen next. I love hearing others ideas and opinions, it helps to feed my creative juices haha**


	16. Chapter 16

**So, another early post since I'll be away all weekend again. Uncle Funeral is finally this coming Sunday and I'm sure I'll be buried in enough emotions to drown me. But I'm not going anywhere till I could get a chapter up for all my lovely subscribers and stalkers.**

 **Just a little something to hold you off till next weekend.**

 **Hope this is alright with you all!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Marvel**

* * *

"I'm leaving a list of things for Dr. Banner to look for in my absence. He's going to do routine checks on her at least once a week till my next visit to see if there are any changes in her brain activity. In the meantime, I suggest she relaxes and continues to heal to the best of your abilities." Dr. Cho's words rang through the pair of men's mind as they made their way back to where Skylar had been placed just earlier.

Immediately they shot into panic mode as the bed she was placed on was now empty, though everyone present was still lounging around. Tony was seconds away from calling the nearest suit to his aid while Steve's hands were clenched tightly, his knuckles were beginning to change colors at the lack of blood flow.

"Calm down you two, Skylar insisted on talking to Fury. Alone." Tasha nudged her head in the direction of the Hulk dome where Maria, Fury and Skylar were currently conversing.

"And you let her?" Tony spat out, walking over to the nearest computer and quickly typing in a few things.

"Uh…were you not present last night? It's not like we could have told her no." Clint brushed the man off with an accusing glare that Tony rolled his eyes at.

"Friday, tap into the audio of the Hulk dome." Tony addressed, surprising everyone that had been watching the silent conversation happening across the room, desperately wanting to know.

"You're going to spy on them? You think that's a good idea with Fury?" Sam pushed as Friday acknowledged the billionaires command, the sound of the trios voices softly playing off the labtop now sitting in front of Tony.

"I don't answer to Fury and that is my cousin in there. I'll be damned if I don't hear what sort of stories she whipped up just for him." Tony smirked proudly at his cousins voice playing across the speakers while everyone huddled around the counter space to hear a bit better.

"You know why I've come to speak with you today Agent Stark." Fury announced sending Tony snorting.

"She's not 'Agent' Stark…..asshole." He muttered under his breath while Tasha rolled her eyes.

"Even after retirement, she'll still be Agent to that man. It's the way of life." Tasha explained, curling a stray red hair behind her ear.

On either side of the counter space, a pair of dark brown eyes sought out the baby blues of the Captain. Once Sam got his attention, he nudged his head in the opposite direction, a silent plea to speak to the captain alone. Steve took a look around the table to see everyone's attention on the conversation happening across the room before turning to nod at Sam. Sam was the first to turn and walk towards a secluded area of the lab, leaning against the wall to patiently wait for Steve's approach. Steve was the next to move as he maneuvered around everyone to get to Sam.

"Hey, there are no secrets amongst the group." Tony's voice stopped Steve as he glanced over his shoulder to see everyone now watching him.

"Secrets? Don't you think you held the biggest secret of all time with Ultron?" Steve shot back with a challenging lift of his brow.

It hadn't meant to be as hurtful as it looked but Steve felt a pang of guilt shoot up his spine as he watched not only Tony but Bruce unconsciously flinch at the accusation before quickly glancing back down to his computer screen. Steve opened his mouth to apologize before a red head caught his attention. Natasha shook her head quietly before gesturing to Sam. Sighing softly in defeat, Steve nodded once before turning and continuing on his way to Sam.

"What was that about?" Sam whispered as Steve leaned up against the opposite wall of Sam, his arms immediately crossing over his chest.

"Nothing. So, what did you want to talk about?" Steve rubbed his face in frustration before meeting Sam's eyes.

"I wanted to know what the plan was. It's clear to me that there is one or Sky wouldn't be chatting it up with fury." Sam turned his eyes to look over at the dome that held the super soldier's girlfriend.

Steve couldn't help but smile softly at his friends question and nodded.

"That obvious?" Steve teased as Sam turned to look back at him with a snort.

"Pretty obvious when I know you wouldn't let her willingly near that man without some sort of plan whipped up." Sam teased back causing Steve to chuckle and nod.

"She wants to tell us what happened, everything. But she doesn't want Fury to know the details. She knows what'll happen if she does." Steve's eyes quickly found Skylar's form sitting stalk still on the hospital bed between Fury and Maria.

"He'll lock her up, for sure." Sam whispered in thought, his own eyes finding the same woman.

"She's worked with Fury long enough to know where these sort of interrogations lead. SHEILD is afraid of what they can't handle." Steve mentioned more to himself as his eyes hardened on Fury's back now currently facing him.

"Even if Fury planned on locking her up, there is a whole line of Avengers he'll have to go through first." Sam could feel the tension radiating off the soldier in front of him.

"He'll have to take her over my dead body." Steve growled under his breath, just the thought of the man trying to take her enough to send his shoulders tensing.

"So, she's got a plan up her sleeve then?" Sam quickly changed the topic back to what they had originally been talking about, glad to see some of the tension ease away from Steve's face.

"She's whipping up a lie to tell Fury. She doesn't want him to know everything down to the details but will tell him some things, enough to get him to leave." Steve met Sam's eyes again, the look of determination easy to pinpoint.

"So….Sky's lying to Fury as we speak?" Sam couldn't stop the surprise and amusement that crossed his face at the woman's plan.

"As far as I know, yes." Steve chuckled and nodded. Sam laughed in disbelief, shaking his head amazed before turning to the woman.

"What about Barnes? We're putting that on the backburner for the time being?" Sam then inquired, knowing that Bucky was a sensitive subject just as much as Skylar was. Steve stiffened at the mention of his friend before he glanced down at his shoes. He wanted to be out there, searching for his friend, especially after of the fall of SHEILD, but he was needed here. He couldn't leave Skylar here, not after everything they went through.

"Till everything here settles down and Skylar heals properly." Steve answered, almost forcefully before meeting Sam's eyes.

"She plans on telling us all about what happened once Fury leaves, stay nearby till then Sam." Steve patted his shoulder once more before making his way back to where the group was still huddled around the laptop.

"Can you remember how many times they injected you?" Fury's voice welcomed Steve as he idled up beside Tony who was now staring at the camera view on his camera.

"So what happened so far?" Steve then asked as he closely watched Skylar's expressions for anything out of place.

"She told them she doesn't remember much because of the mind sweeps. Fury insisted that it was possible she could remember if she put her mind to it but Skylar added that she had tried that already." Bruce answered the super soldier from Tony's other side.

"Now he's asking about her injections." Clint added as Steve nodded.

"I don't remember how many times exactly, only about 4 times clearly." She scrunched up her face as Maria inspected the burnt skin of her inner elbow where the injections had happened.

"The skin is dead." Maria explained to Fury who had guessed as much.

"Did they ever hint to what was in the injection? Did you hear anything about the super soldier serum that they put into Rogers?" Fury then asked as Skylar's eyes momentarily glanced over in Steve's direction.

"They spoke about him on a daily basis." She whispered as Steve's eyes shot up to meet hers across the room.

"Do you remember what was said about him?" Fury followed her eyes and met Steve's.

"Just that they were trying to recreate the serum that was used on him all those years ago." She answered honestly, turning away from Steve's calculating eyes. Fury nodded, knowing his words from earlier were just proven right.

"Skylar, is there anything of importance on Hydra that you can share with us? Locations, plans, leaders? Anything." Fury sat forward a bit more, his eye intently watching her face for even the smallest waver.

Skylar wasn't sure how much more of this interrogation she could take and decided to spill just a bit. She informed Fury that from what she could remember, Hydra had bases in both Africa and Egypt. She had remembered seeing various maps while under Hydra's control. Though the memories were a bit fogged in her mind, she remembered those two places intently because she had been thinking how beautiful those places must be at the time.

Fury went on to ask about her abilities that she showcased the night before and lied about having not known ahead of time what she was capable of. Fury hesitantly believed her, though he addressed his worry to keep her out of custody at that belief. He then addressed her memory problems and lied about it being connected to her lack of resting which Fury believed easily.

There was one thing that she was had realized she wanted to tell Fury before the others and glanced over to the group to see them gathered around the laptop. She knew they had been listening in on their conversation but this bit, she didn't want to tell them yet. Glancing up at the dome, she allowed her eyes to flash violet as she hacked into Tony's tech to cut his communications within the dome, off.

Tony was cut off guard when the audio inside the dome came to screeching halt while the video feed cut completely.

"What the…." Tony muttered frustrated as everyone's eyes turned to the dome.

"Rumlow and Collins are alive. They were working from the Hydra base they infiltrated to get to me." She quickly informed as both Maria and Fury's eyes met.

"They were planning an attack on someone of importance but I don't know the full story." She added noticing the way everyone was panicking outside.

"Is that all you know on the two?" Fury then asked seriously as Skylar immediately nodded.

"Yes sir." She answered as he sighed and nodded, pulling himself to stand.

"We will be in contact Agent Skylar. In the meantime, stay out of sight and in Stark Tower, Hill will be around." Fury addressed her just as the dome door was practically ripped off the hinges by an overly panicked super soldier and norse god. Fury and Maria both ignored the suspicious glares they were receiving before they pushed their way out of the tight dome and out of sight.

"Doll, are you okay?" Steve rushed in and straight to Skylar's side, who smiled softly up and him and nodded.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I'm okay." She answered as he looked her up and down once more before hugging her gently to his chest.

* * *

 **I posted earlier today since I'll be away from home all weekend. My uncle's funeral is finally this Sunday and I'm not looking forward to all the emotional baggage that is going to be tagging along with it. I hope you all like the chapter and thank you once again for continuing to support me through this!**

 **Please review, I love hearing from all of you!**


	17. Chapter 17

**Almost forgot to update today, Yikes! Funeral is over and done with, family has returned back home and I'm working double shifts at work to make up for time lost *sighs* And on top of it all, I'm nowhere near wifi right now yet I updated lol**

 **Hope you like it. Skylar is finally coming clean with all her hidden secrets.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Marvel**

Once Fury had cleared the building and drove off in his car, Steve and Tony immediately got everyone situated upstairs while Natasha helped to change Skylar out of her torn pajamas and into something more comfortable.

"So, why was your pants torn and your leg along with it?" Tasha asked bluntly, lifting the pants leg to inspect it while Skylar's eyes quickly found the bandages on her thigh.

"Guess that's one more thing I'll have to explain to everyone." She had meant it as a light joke though no one laughed at it.

"I have a feeling what you're about to share tonight, isn't something we really want to hear." Natasha's eye carefully read over Skylar's body language, easily picking up on the wary way she dressed.

"It's not really something I want to share but you all need to know what you are dealing with now." Skylar never lifted her eyes to meet Tasha's as she buttoned her shorts.

"What did you tell Fury when you cut the power?" Natasha had known what the woman did the moment Starks computer went haywire. She knew from the looks on Fury and Marias faces when they left, that they had gotten something they hadn't expected to get.

Skylar on the other hand, shouldn't have been surprised that Tasha had caught on so easily to what she had done earlier. Everyone knew of her abilities, messing with tech, bug-free tech like stark-tech, was easy for her. But, the question still caught her off guard as she finally lifted her head from the plaid buttoned up shirt she had been buttoning to meet Tasha's soft eyes.

"Yes, I know you cut Starks computer feed off. I'm surprised he didn't figure that out yet, seeing as it's so 'perfect'." She teased, carefully taking a seat on the edge of her bed.

Sky sighed, buttoning the last button on her shirt before settling beside her friend.

"What I tell you doesn't leave this room, okay? I'm serious. I don't want the others knowing just yet." Skylar explained seriously to the assassin sitting beside her, who easily nodded, knowing it must have been something of seriousness for her to ask her to promise such a thing.

"You know you're secret is safe with me." Tasha reassured her, watching as Skylar seemed to silently being psyching herself out to spill the beans.

"You remember Rumlow and Collins, right?" Skylar started off slow, glancing up to see Natasha's eyes take on a serious note.

"How could I not?" Tasha retorted back carefully as Skylar ran a hand through her platinum hair.

"They are alive, both of them. I remember seeing them numerous times at the Hydra base." Skylar quickly turned away, feeling the woman tense up beside her at the confession. She knew Tasha was silently fuming with the new news, seeing as they had not only betrayed her but Steve as well. It was best not to stop in confession and continued.

"I remember them coming into the base at random times to meet with someone who was in charge. I never met the man in charge face to face. I was always under orders from a middle man that got his orders from higher up. I do remember hearing them speak about planning on killing someone of importance, but I don't know when, where or who it was they were talking about. That's what I told Fury. Rumlow and Collins are up to something, if it hasn't already happened." Skylar went on to explain what she could remember before turning to look at Tasha who was silently staring across at the wall.

"Aside from Fury and Hill, you have told no one about this?" Tasha's hard voice slithered down her spine, sending her on edge as she shook her head.

"No, no one else but the 3 of you. I want to tell Steve, but I've been waiting for a less stressful opportunity. He already has a lot on his plate and I know how much he's been thinking about seeking Rumlow out, especially after those bombings in Europe. I just….." She sighed, hanging her head.

"A lot has been going on, and then with last night, I didn't want to add to the stress." She glanced back at Tasha to see the spy intently watching her. She knew, this news would upset her friend, but she also knew, she could trust Tasha to keep a secret till she was in her grave. But that wasn't fair of her to ask.

"I'll tell Steve as soon as I can. There are a few other things that I need to tell Steve also, that cannot wait." She didn't want to go into detail about Bucky, knowing how important this piece of news would be for Steve. He should be the first to hear it from her, no one else.

They sat in awkward silence for a few more minutes before finally, the pair emerged from the bedroom and down the hallway to the shared living space. Everyone was softly conversing amongst themselves before the room grew quiet at the pairs entrance. Skylar's eyes quickly searched the room nervously before landing on Steve's as he approached her side.

"You feeling alright doll?" He asked, looping an arm around her waist protectively, escorting her to the single arm chair that was sitting empty.

"Yeah, I'm fine, a little exhausted but I'll be fine." She promised, meeting Tasha's eyes one last time before sitting down.

"So….Cap sat us down, said you had something to tell us." Clint started as soon as Skylar's butt hit the cushion.

"Is everything alright Lady Skylar?" Thor's once booming voice, surprised her as it came off softly in concern.

In return, she fiddled with her hands in her lap, wondering how she should go about doing what she had planned to do originally.

"It's alright doll. If it's too uncomfortable, we can do it later." Steve knelt beside her left knee, avoiding the side that was still bandaged and smiled softly up at her.

"We won't force anything out of you, you know that." Steve added, reaching up to hold her hand in his. She met his baby blues with her browns and smiled back, grateful to have the sort of support she needed through all of this.

"It's alright Steve. I want to do this." She promised, reaching her free hand over to caress his cheek, smiling as he leaned into her touch.

"Friday, lock it down." Tony's voice commanded from the opposite arm chair.

"Yes sir." He answered as a single beeped echoed through the room before silence ensued once more.

Steve made sure there was no hesitation in her voice or expression before he kissed the back of her hand and stood up, taking his place beside her.

"I asked Tony and Steve to gather you all here because I believe you all deserve to know what happened. What Hydra did, what I'm capable of, anything and everything." She explained, though her voice wavered slightly she pushed on and continued.

"Especially after last night, it would be best you all know the truth about what I'm capable of now." She stared down at the palms of her hands while a few of them muttered around her.

"Alright, if you are sure about this Sky, we're all ears." Bruce answered gently from the couch beside her as she smiled kindly at him.

"It's probably best to start from the beginning, huh?" She joked lightly, meeting everyone's eyes only to see hesitation and concern reflecting in their orbs.

She explained to them, everything she could remember from the moment they had captured her, to which experiments she remembered the most above all, what she remembered about the various places they kept her, what they made her do, like going out on missions to kill those who stood in Hydra's way. That was the hardest part, having to tell them the number of people she had killed, though unwillingly, to her family. She could see the horror and confliction in their eyes as she confessed murdering even a little boy that stood innocently in front of her.

"His face still haunts my dreams till today." She whispered, hanging her head while clasping her hands together.

"Wh-….Why would they make you do such a thing?" Sam whispered in horror, his eyes wide as he stared across at her.

Skylar in turn, swallowed heavily, meeting his eyes briefly before glancing back down to her lap, twiddling with the bandage on her leg.

"They wanted to test my allegiance to them along with the abilities they gave me." She growled out in regret, her hands clasping together tighter to the point her knuckles were turning white.

"Since we're on the subject Sky, why don't you explain those specific abilities?" Tony then addressed the subject at hand as she shut her eyes momentarily before forcefully nodding.

"First it was the telekinesis." She answered, raising her hand to lift the glass of water that had been sitting in front of her on the coffee table, a few inches off the wooden surface.

"Once they realized what I was capable of, what my mind was capable of, they never stopped." She whispered in a shaky voice, feeling Steve's hand grip her shoulder in comfort. She carefully placed the glass back down before noticing Tony's phone sitting in front of them.

"Then it was the technology manipulation." She whispered, her eyes flashing violet as his phone lifted from his lap and into the air between the group gathered. She took a deep breath before shutting her eyes as she listened to the device splinter apart in front of everyone.

"You broke it." Clint whispered in realization as she opened her eyes, shaking her head as she did. Concentrating on the device, she watched, for the millionth time as it magnetized back into place, unbroken and unfazed.

"No, not broken. I can pull apart any sort of technology, even alter it, without breaking anything." She answered, allowing the fixed device to fall back into Tony's awaiting hand.

"Alter it?" Thor repeated, unsure what she meant. She met the Norse gods confused glance and allowed the corner of her lip to twitch ever so slightly.

"Like pulling the energy source from it, draining it completely. Or I can bypass security protocols in even the most advance computer in the world. Anything to do with technology, I'm able to engage or disengage it. Hydra used it constantly to get information they needed." She whispered in disgust as she remembered the times they had forced her to use it.

"What about that mind thing you did to Wanda?" Clint's eyes hardened briefly before softening when he noticed the guilty way Skylar was staring at him.

"Like Wanda, I'm able to tap into a person's mind and show them what I want to show them. Their dreams, their fantasies, their nightmares and even their fears. It's an easy way to get people to comply to something when they are first in doubt." Her voice grew softer and softer as the eyes around her continued to grow harder and harder.

"You said they used you to do their bidding, if you remember all of this, why did you comply?" Clint's voice was soft as he asked her a question, he was sure everyone in the room was burning to ask, especially the quiet super soldier standing still beside her.

"They…..before each mission, they injected me with something that gave me no control over my actions. They spoke a few things in Russian and I had not control over my body or mind, like I was watching my body from the outside. I couldn't do anything about it." She whispered in a shaky voice, tears welling up in her eyes as Steve took a forceful seat on the arm rest to pull her into his chest.

He wanted nothing more than to shoot out of the nearest window and find the people responsible for putting her through such torture. A once kind and loving woman had been completely altered to do dirty work for the world's most diabolical group. He hated it. Hated seeing the guilty way she stared down at her hands as if she hated them for what they had done. But it wasn't her. No. She had no control of her body, as she said. Hydra forced her hand, to do their dirty work, just as they did to Bucky.

Hydra had destroyed two of the most important people to him.

"I hate to speak my mind, but with everything you told us, Skylar, it's nothing extraordinary aside from what most of the worlds enhanced beings can do. If Fury is right in his assumption, why exactly would Hydra try and find you?" It had been eating at Sam since Fury had put it in their mind at the possibility of Hydra searching out Skylar to take her back. But why? What did Skylar have that Hydra wanted? They never made a step up to gain Wanda back once she joined the Avengers, so why now? Why Skylar?

Skylar on the other hand, sighed, knowing this question had been coming as she stared down at the bandage once more, wiping the tears from her cheeks.

"There is one more enhancement that Hydra created inside me. One they didn't know they created at the start of everything. I'm the only one with this ability." She whispered nervously, her fingernails, slowly peeling away at the bandages edges, showing the puffy red still of the claw mark.

The room grew deathly quiet as Skylar spoke. Tony grew almost ridged in his seat, not sure how much more of her confessions he could take before he suited up and shot back to that deserted base they found her in, hoping to find someone to sink his metal hands into. Steve on the other hand, couldn't even speak or meet anyone's eyes aside from Skylar's. He could practically see the way she was shaking in both fear and disgust with herself at what she had done.

"It is alright Lady Skylar, you can tell us." Thor carefully added, having been silent through the entire conversation aside from his disgruntle grunts and glares.

"I'm able to….." She whispered, biting down into her lip as she thought of a way to explain it.

"Able to what Sky?" Bruce reached out, placing a comforting hand on her knee.

"Travel through dimensions."

 **So there you have it. The next chapter up and out! I'm actually camping right now, I'm surprised I got this out and online from the beach lol But my data for my phone is up to par, so I got it out before I got crazy wild tomorrow lmao**

 **Happy 4** **th** **of July!**


	18. Chapter 18

**Back for another update! On time, might I add. Well, in my time zone anyways!**

 **Hope ya'll enjoy the update, I have tons in store for the flow of this story.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Marvel, though it would be a blessing if I did**

* * *

Steve wasn't sure what more Skylar could say that would make him feel guiltier about her being taken. Though the abilities she gained would do great in helping to protect herself if he ever wasn't around to do so himself. But at the thought, he could clearly see that she did not accept anything that she was able to do and probably would never accept them. He didn't blame her. They were forced on her without her consent. Who would appreciate and accept something that was forced on you?

No one.

He silently listened as she confessed to everything that had been eating at them since they found her. His heart ache as she told them the various things Hydra made her do, all down to killing an innocent boy that had been in the wrong place at the wrong time. It sent a cold chill of horror and anger spiking through his veins as he watched the tears well up in her eyes, silently slipping down her pale cheeks. To make her do such a thing, he felt the bile rise up his throat at the torture she must have felt in that very moment.

"He didn't do anything. He was just…..there."

Her voice broke the thoughts from his mind as he quickly reached down, sitting on the chairs armrest before pulling her to his chest. If he thought earlier that she was a completely broken woman, he could not be any more wrong than he was right now. Skylar loved children, even admitted to wanting them one day when the time was right, but to make someone like her, kill an innocent child with her own hands, that was the lowest torture anyone could wish on a person.

He could practically feel her vibrating in horror and guilt as he held her form to his chest. Unfortunately, he knew, this wasn't something that could easily be erased from her mind. But what could he do for her? He didn't know as he glanced around the room to the various eyes looking around the room, horror, confusion, anger and various other expressions crossing their faces.

"I put his fears to life in his mind and laughed as I watched him. They passed me a knife and…and."

She couldn't finish what she had been planning to say as another set of tears fell from her eyes before a choked sob broke from her lips. They wouldn't let her finish that confession. They knew enough where it would lead as she continued to bury her face into his chest.

Once Skylar had calmed down enough and the group had gone back to being patient and listening, Skylar continued on her explanation, going into detail about everything Hydra had given to her. Through it all, Steve kept his arm protectively around her waist, watching silently as she showed the various things she could do before Sam's question caught everyone.

Steve pulled his eyes away from her for the first time to meet Sam's eyes. He wouldn't admit it, but it had been picking at the back of his mind also. Why would Hydra be so determined to get someone like Skylar back? Did she know something they didn't want anyone else to know? Did she hold a key to something? What exactly was Skylar still hiding from the group?

"There is one more enhancement that Hydra created inside me. One they didn't know they created at the start of everything. I'm the only one with this ability."

It grew deathly quiet in the room that it came to no surprise when you could suddenly hear the faint honking of car horns floors below. It was obvious to everyone that something more was still on the tip of her tongue, though the look of apprehension on Skylar's face as she peeled the bandage away from her leg did nothing but add fear to his already growing panic.

Her wound. He had remembered she woke with it last night, a wound he knew for a fact she did not go to sleep with. Where did she get it from?

"Travel through dimensions." Was the line that left her luscious lips that sent an ice cold fear straight up his spine to his head. He didn't need her to go into detail about what that exactly entitled before his mind began to run away with itself at the various possibilities.

"Travel through dimensions? Sort of what Thor does?" Natasha asked confused, gesturing over at the Norse God who had perked up slightly at the mention of various dimension travel.

Steve's eyes flashed back and forth between the Norse God and the woman in his arms to see her still staring down at her lap, the tips of her fingers brushing across the still healing wound.

"No." She answered simply, tears evident as they splashed down onto her bare thighs.

"What do you mean when you say travel through dimensions Skylar? Like other worlds?" Bruce was confused, that was saying something seeing as aside from Tony, he was the smartest one of the group.

"I'm able to travel into the dimension of the…dead." She whispered that last part that those with attuned hearing, picked it up easily, their eyes widening.

If it were possible, Steve's stomach dropped further to the point that he would not be surprised if the others began to point out that his intestines were hanging out and in plain sight. She could travel to the dimension of the dead?

"Wait? What?" Natasha had to ask her to repeat what she had said in disbelief.

Steve sat still beside her, his mind running away with itself at the new info. She could travel into the dimension of the dead? Was that even a real thing? He was having a hard time believing or even coming to terms with what she said.

"Dimension of the dead?" Tony whispered, his eyes widening as he stared across the coffee table at Skylar in shock.

"Wait, wait, wait, hold on. Time out. What exactly do you mean when you say Dimension of the dead because this is all sounding a bit like some sci-fi movie come to life?" Sam cut everyone off, pushing himself to sit a bit closer to the edge of the couch, his shoulders tense.

"I mean exactly what I said. I'm able to travel to a dimension where the dead reside." She added, her wet eyes looking at each of them before staring back at her lap.

"I'm assuming heaven." Clint chided into the conversation, his mind unable to even keep up with the conversation any longer.

"No, the complete opposite. A place that keeps those who are rejected by heaven." She explained in a disgusted voice, her hand reaching to hold her wound as the memories of the night sparked sudden pain in the gash.

"Alright, hold on. I need a minute to take this all in." Tony shot out of his seat, pacing the far end of the room while muttering things under his breath.

Steve slowly stood from his spot on the armrest, keeping his hand on her shoulder as he did so. He felt like he was going to throw up. Everything she had told them, it wasn't close to what he had been expecting for her to tell them. Why was this happening to her? He shut his eyes momentarily, silently counting to 10 in his head, hoping and praying it would ease some of the panic continuing to build in his chest.

No such luck.

"Sky, I don't mean to run off course here, but it's been bugging the hell out of me. Where did you get that wound?" Natasha's voice broke the stressed silence, Skylar's violet eyes shot up to meet Natasha's.

"I…..it…." She began to explain, her hand pressing a bit harder against the wound, unsure how to explain it.

"It's alright Sky. You can tell us." Bruce carefully reassured her, though even the scientist was having a hard time keeping up with everything they were learning. He had not been expecting this, none of this.

Skylar licked her dry lips, swallowing down her dry throat before lifting her head hesitantly to face the room. It was obvious to Steve, but this was one thing that she didn't want to tell the group. Her face seemed to pale at the thought of telling them, while her hands began to shake uncontrollably as she silently pushed herself to tell them.

"Last night, I woke up in the other dimension. I thought I was here in the Tower, I was technically, but in the Tower in the other dimension." She explained, her voice wavering as she picked up the courage to explain to the group that had never heard of such a thing.

"The Tower in the other dimension?" Bruce asked, his eyes furrowed in confusion.

"The other dimension is the same yet not. No living person is there, only the buildings of whatever state I'm in. Since I'm in New York in the Tower that is where I woke up. The dimensions version of the Tower." She explained, her hands squeezed together to stop them from shaking any further.

"Alright, go on." Clint pushed, his mind slowly catching up to what Skylar was explaining to the group.

"I haven't traveled in a while, maybe a few weeks before you all retrieved me so I was confused when I woke up and Friday didn't answer me. I easily figured out I was in the other dimension." She added, feeling Steve's hand reach out to hold hers. She clutched onto his arm for support, smiling shakily up at his stone frozen face.

"The beings in the other dimension, either take on the form of their former bodies or hold shapeless black forms. It's hard to explain." She shook her head.

"Like a shadow?" Bruce then offered as she nodded.

"A shadow you can't see through." She added as the group nodded in understanding to her explanation.

"When one of them touch you, especially from that dimension, it leaves their touch." The wound stung at the thought again, her hand peeling away from it.

"Did one of them touch you Sky?" Steve's voice startled her as she hadn't heard him speak since she began to explain everything. She slowly lifted her eyes, afraid of what she would see when she looked at him.

Steve stared down at her with sympathy and a mixture of overflowing anger. She easily picked out the anger radiating off him in waves and turned away to nod.

"Why did Hydra want to create something like that? It doesn't make any sense." Clint muttered, his own hands grasping each other as he stared down at them in thought.

"I've never heard of such a thing. Traveling into another dimension." Bruce admitted, leaning back into the couch, one hand massaging the bridge of his nose.

"When has anything Hydra done made sense?" Tony spat out, beyond annoyed with rage balancing on the edge of what sanity he had left.

"What could they gain by traveling into the other dimension?" Natasha asked out loud before all eyes were on Skylar once more. She sighed, hanging her head once more, knowing they would not like this part.

"Originally, they didn't know what they created until I fell asleep after one particular experiment. I didn't wake up for days from what I understood. I remember being in the lab, but no one was there. It was empty and quiet. I wasn't tied down or locked up. I was so confused when I woke up there. But then I ran across someone. Someone who passed on a message from me to the Hydra agents who had me. When I woke up, they were frantic and insisted on answers that I didn't have. I was confused and lost, I didn't know what had happened and then I remembered what the man in the other dimension told me. I passed on the message and they quickly believed me. It took me sometime to realize who the man was and the fact that he was dead." She whispered desperately, tears filling her eyes once again, spilling with no hesitation down her cheeks.

"Who was it?" Sam asked hesitantly as Skylar shut her eyes, allowing another set of tears to fall from her eyes as the memory resurfaced.

"Dr. Zola."

* * *

 **Confessions, confessions, confessions. I'm hoping the plot I have in mind works out for the story. Here's to hoping! Lol**

 **See ya next week!**


	19. Chapter 19

**Back for another update! And just for you all, it's a longgggggg chapter! Took me some time to whip this chapter up, but hey, got it done!**

 **Enjoy!**

 **Warning: Brief mention of rape**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Marvel**

* * *

Steve's entire form froze as the name spilled past her lips. Natasha's eyes widened along with Bruce and Clints, Sam took a bit more time to catch up on who they were talking about before he was gaping along with Tony.

"Wait, the crazy German scientist that dad talked about?" Tony asked in disbelief as Sky wiped her cheeks and nodded.

"I didn't realize who he was until I passed on the message to the Hydra agents with me. By then it was too late." She added, averting her eyes back down to her lap.

"What did you tell them Sky? What message did that man pass on to you?" Steve's voice sent a chill down her spine as she gripped the chair under her.

"He told me to inform them he would keep in touch through me, that the Red Skull still lived." She whispered, dropping her head into her hands as she felt Steve stand from his place on the arm rest.

"Red Skull?" Clint whispered, momentarily confused before his eyes widened.

"That weird fucking guy with the red skin?" Clint shouted, gesturing to his face frantically as Natasha nodded.

It was quiet once more as the new information slowly melted into everyone's minds, allowing them to take in the new news. Skylar on the other hand, continued to fidget in her seat, almost to the point that she was clawing at her wound before she felt Steve's reassuring hand appear on her shoulder once more. It did little to ease the tension from her shoulders, but she welcomed it nonetheless.

"How do you…you know, travel there?" Bruce then asked, getting theatrical with his hands. Skylar met his eyes, a flash of amusement in her sad eyes, that quickly disappeared before anyone noticed it.

"I don't know. It's usually when I'm asleep, it happens." She shrugged, fiddling with the bandage in her hand.

"And the memory loss after? What's that about?" Clint then asked as she sighed, sniffling slightly.

"That's happened a few times. But it's temporary. I don't know why it happens and neither did Hydra. They thought it had something to do with the length of time I spend there. It has some sort of effect on my mind." She explained, running her fingers through her hair.

"I met someone while I was there last night." She whispered, reaching up for Steve's hand, gripping his hand tighter, knowing this bit would send Tony over the edge.

"Who?" Thor asked, his hand unconsciously reaching out to grip his hammer sitting on the floor between his feet.

"I saw Harry Stark." She whispered, her tear filled eyes meeting Tony's just as his form froze in place, his eyes whipping over to meet hers.

"Harry Stark? You mean you're uncle?" Natasha asked confused, looking up to notice the way Tony was now convulsing in anger.

"You met…..who?" Tony leaned forward, the look on his face enough of a hint to let Skylar know he wasn't playing around.

"He was there Tony. When I woke up. I never saw him any other time I traveled there. He must have been waiting for me, knowing I was in the Tower." She broke out sobbing into her hands, Steve glancing down in horror, unsure what was going on as he pulled himself out of his guilt trip and yanked her up into his arms.

Tony on the other, grabbed the nearest object, which happened to be a very expensive vase and chucked it across the room, throwing it completely through one of the newly fixed windows, sending both shattering. Skylar knew that this would be his reaction, but yet, hearing the glass shatter, sent her flinching in her seat, unable to watch as his anger grew.

"What the hell is going on?!" Natasha shot out of her seat, shouting at Tony that was now reaching at various things, anything his hands could grab and began tossing them around the room.

"That bastard….' Tony began before growling as he grabbed a mug of coffee that had been sitting nearby, throwing it against the wall.

"Would you stop throwing shit and fill us in?!" Clint shouted this time, both him and Sam running over to hold down the man that was having a mental break down.

"Lady Skylar, what does your uncle have to do with any of this?" Thor whispered, his hesitation obvious.

"That shithead sexually abused both Skylar and her mother for years!" Tony's rage was evident as he began to kick his legs out frantically while Skylar pushed herself to stand, unable to stay any longer.

"I'm sorry….I can't…" She shook her head, pushing past Bruce who had reached out to her and ran from the room.

* * *

The room was silent once more as the new news of the woman's past settled into everyone's stomach. Thor glared angrily down at the rug beneath his feet before grasping the hammer tighter. Why would such a thing happen to Skylar? She was such a kind woman and to have to go through something as terrible as this, from a family member no less, he could not imagine how hard it was for Skylar to force the memory into the back of her mind all these years.

Clint glared angrily over at Tony who was now being held by Tasha and Sam. Why had no one told them? All these years, he had known Skylar and yet, something as dark as this, he never imagined her going through something like this.

"Why am I only finding out about this now?" Tasha was using all her restraint to keep her anger in check as she glared openly at Tony in her grip.

"What? You think our family would parade something like this around?!" Tony spat back, ripping his arm out of her grasp before adjusting his shirt.

"It's not something that Skylar of all people would openly share, even with you." His eyes had taken on a darker color as he glanced around the room.

"Skylar." Bruce whispered sadly, his eyes panning across the room to the empty hallway she had disappeared into.

"Yeah. I'm sure the world would love to know that one of the infamous Stark brothers was a fucking pervert who raped his niece repeatedly." Tony chuckled emotionlessly, though there was no humor on his voice as he approached his bar, grabbing a full bottle of vodka from under the counter.

Everyone stood quietly, all eyes anywhere but on Tony as he went into mild detail about what Skylar had been hiding about her history.

On the other hand, Sam couldn't stop his eyes from landing on the super soldier, standing motionless as he faced the empty hallway. From the way he was reacting, Sam knew this was also the first Steve was hearing about what had happened to Skylar all those years ago.

"How old was she?" Clint then asked, his grip on his phone, tightening ever so slightly as the thought ran through his mind.

Tony swallowed the entire contents of his glass before quickly filling it up once more, ignoring the glass and drinking straight from the bottle.

"It was right after her father died. That bastard moved into their place, saying that her father made him promise to take care of them if something ever happened." Tony spat angrily, glancing over at Steve to see that he had turned his body halfway to face him, though his eyes were looking completely through the wall opposite of him.

"I'm…..gonna go check on her." Steve suddenly announced, those his voice wavered slightly as he turned and marched out of the room.

"How the fuck did something like this happen?" Tasha whispered angrily, more to herself but she knew mostly everyone had heard her.

"Easy. He was fucking insane and jealous of Uncle Henry. Being the youngest did nothing but feed that fire." Tony spat, hissing as the liquid burned down his throat.

"Skylar was 16 when she finally opened up and told me what happened. I was so sick to my stomach for such a long time, especially since I was such a fucking douche bag to her before that. I had no idea what kind of shit she was going through when her dad died." He clutched the bottle tightly in his hand while staring at the windows.

"I will return. I have something's I want to ask of Heimdall." Thor announced, not waiting for anyone's answer or comment and slipped out onto the balcony and into the sky.

* * *

Steve silently moved down the hallway, her crying easily heard with his sensitive hearing as he approached her bedroom. He felt sick to his stomach. Bile was constantly trying to climb up his throat in search of an exit, but he would not allow it. He would not wallow in his own guilt and shame, not when the woman he loved was suffering beyond his wildest dreams.

She had kept something so dark from him and he was angry. Not at her. Not at the fact that she had not told him about it, but the fact that he was not there to protect her from that disgusting man. What more could someone like Skylar, have to go through?

He stopped outside her door, taking in a shaky breath to fight back the bile before he lightly rapped his knuckles against the door, not wanting to scare her. Her sniffling immediately stopped before it was silent on the other side of the door.

"Doll, it's me." He called, less than confident as he called out to her.

No answer.

"Please. Sky, let me in." He begged, resting his forehead on the cold wood of the door, his eyes shutting in defeat.

No answer.

With his stress already on an all-time high, he couldn't stand there and do nothing, instead reaching down for the doorknob, surprised to find it unlocked though it seemed she made no move to lock it. Turning it hesitantly, he silently pushed the door opened and peeked into the dark room to see her form huddled in the middle of her large bed, over the covers.

His heart hurt. Hurt for her. Hurt to think what she had was going through alone.

He stepped in, shutting the door behind him before taking a step towards the bed.

"Please. Just go away." Her broken voice echoed through the silent room, rooting him to his spot.

"I can't Sky." He whispered back with an equally broken voice, his hands clenching at his sides.

"Please." She begged further, a choked sob emitting from her form causing tears to slowly pool in his baby blues.

"I'm never leaving you alone again." He blinked back the tears, knowing that Skylar needed someone to be strong for her right now.

She sobbed further, knowing that Steve would never listen to her at this point and instead, pulled her arms tighter around her head, wanting nothing more than to shut the outside world out. Protect herself from anything else that was being thrown at her.

Steve saw her curl further in on herself and yanked himself from his spot, approaching her bed hesitantly before slipping into bed behind her. He felt another part of his heart break as he watched her flinch away at his movement. He bit his lip, his hand stopping in its approach to pull her to him.

He knew she needed him and right now, he needed her to. More than anything. He just needed to hold her in his arms, a physical evidence that she was still here.

"Skylar, it's me, you're safe." He whispered reassuringly, continuing to move his hand out, wrapping it around her waist from behind before carefully turning her and pulling her to his chest. He slipped his other arm under her head, wrapping it around her shoulders, keeping her pinned to his chest.

She allowed him. She allowed him and he couldn't be anymore grateful that she hadn't pushed him away like he had originally assumed she would.

Shutting his eyes, he buried his face into her hair and inhaled deeply, silent tears immediately growing in his eyes as he listened to her sobs grow.

"I got you baby. I'm right here. I'm not going anywhere." He whispered over and over, hoping that even just his voice, would be enough to ease even just a bit of the horror she was experiencing, though he knew that was an impossible dream.

* * *

Hours of crying passed as Steve silently laid there, holding her to him. Showing her that he would be here whenever she needed him. Even in the darkest hours, he would be here for her, to protect her, to be anything she needed him to be.

"I'm so sorry, I never told you. I'm sorry." Her voice pulled him from her hair as he glanced down at the way she was clinging to his shirt, burying her face deeper and deeper into the soaked fabric.

"No. Sky. Look at me sweetheart." He whispered desperately as he pulled his hand from her waist, reaching down to pull her chin up. His heart immediately throbbed at the broken look she was now giving him as her tear filled and swollen eyes stared at him like he was the lifeline keeping her on earth.

"You don't have to apologize for anything. Nothing. You hear me? Nothing is your fault. I would never hold something like this against you." He whispered, having a hard time keeping his own tears at bay as she continued to stare up at him, almost desperately.

He was completely thrown off guard when her lips were suddenly on his, her hands released from his shirt and into his hair. He blinked a few times, noticing the tears still spilling from her own eyes before he hesitantly answered her lips back, unable to stop her. Pulling her closer by the hold he had on his shoulder, he lost himself momentarily in her lips before she pulled away, burying her face into his throat.

"I'm sorry I was not there to protect you Sky." Steve quickly apologized, wrapping his arms tightly around her form, afraid she would disappear if he didn't.

"Don't apologize for that Steve. You weren't around yet to do so." She whispered, one of her hands loosening from his head to wipe at her cheeks.

"Plus, Tony did enough damage for everyone. That man is dead." She added hesitantly, unsure if he had figured it out.

Steve on the other end, sighed and nodded, having caught on when she was speaking of the man earlier. She had seen him in the other dimension, which meant he either had the same ability as her or he was dead. He hoped it was the last reason, but if not, he would search the earth over and over, looking for him.

"Still, I'm sorry you have to go through all of this Sky. No one should have to suffer so much." Steve whispered, running his fingers through her silver locks.

Skylar quickly buried her face further into his neck, taking in his scent as his arms tightened around her. She was so glad she had Steve around. She couldn't imagine how she could manage any of this without him by herself. He was her rock, literally. He was the glue that was keeping her from completely coming apart on herself.

"I'm very proud of you though. It takes someone with a lot of courage to confess everything you just did. Even when you didn't have to, you did." Steve added proudly, pecking the shell of her ear before burying his own face into her neck.

At his words, Skylar stiffened momentarily, realizing that there was still a bit she had yet to tell him. She needed to. She wasn't sure if now was the right time, but if she didn't do it now, she knew, she would never have the courage to say it later when all this blew over in the next couple of days.

"Steve." She whispered through a rasp hesitantly, using both her hands to wipe at her face this time.

"Hm?" He answered, surprised to hear her speak after crying for so long.

"There is still something I need to tell you." She casted her eyes down to the large tear stain she left on his shirt, unable to meet his eyes.

"I think that is enough for tonight baby. You're exhausted." He brushed off her words, brushing her hair from her face to plant his lips against her forehead.

That was true, she knew. She felt like she could sleep for days but she was still too afraid to fall asleep, especially after what happened last night. But this was something she needed to tell him, him and Sam. She knew Sam was helping Steve in finding Bucky.

Skylar pushed herself gently from his arms, sitting up to wipe frantically at her sore eyes while Steve sat up quickly beside her.

"What is it?" He asked in concern as she pulled her knees to her chest, resting her chin on her knees.

"I need to tell you this Steve. It's important to you." She whispered on the verge of tears again as she slowly turned her head to meet his eyes.

Steve stared at her, unsure what to do. The look of exhaustion on her face, made him want to push her back into the bed and beg her to sleep. But the look in her eyes, the desperation in her eyes made him realize that whatever she still needed to say, was important. As important as she said it was.

"Alright. I'll get the others." He nodded in defeat, pulling himself to stand before her hand quickly stopped him.

"No. Just you and Sam. No one else. Not yet." She whispered, looking up at him desperately, knowing the rest of the group would not have the same reaction to the news she wanted to give Steve. Steve's eyes flashed in surprise before he gripped her hand back and nodded.

"Alright. I'll be right back. Okay?" He whispered, turning to fully face her as she nodded, watching him intently as he leaned down, brushing a light kiss across her lips.

He soon disappeared out the door and out of sight.

* * *

Steve emerged silently from the hallway, noticing that Thor and Clint had disappeared somewhere, while Bruce and Tasha was silently conversing with Tony in the far corner of the room. Luckily for him, Sam was quietly standing on the balcony, staring at the view that it offered. Seeing as no one was paying any attention to him, he slipped through the room unnoticed and onto the balcony, the cold night breeze caressing his tear stained shirt.

"Sam." He quickly addressed as the man turned from the view, surprised by his sudden appearance.

"Hey man. How is she?" Sam asked with sympathy, watching as Steve came to stand beside him against the railing.

"She finally stopped crying long enough to talk. She wants to talk to you. Both us." Steve whispered the last part, his eyes flashing over to the trio still talking on the inside. Sam was surprised once again, glancing over in the same direction he did, catching the hint.

"Only the two of us?" Sam asked in a hushed tone as Steve nodded, a look of seriousness.

"I'm not sure what it is, but she said it's important and wants you there." Steve slipped his hands into his pants pockets, turning to face the doorway. Sam peered over once more at Tony, Tasha and Clint before nodding to Steve.

"If she says it's important, I'm there." He answered, quietly following Steve into the shared living room area before quickly disappearing into the hallway.

"Why not the others? I mean, I'd assume she'd want Tony more than me." Sam commented, scratching the back of his neck in confusion.

"I'm not sure. But she only wanted the two of us." Steve answered, still not sure what it was as he knocked on the door.

"Doll, it's me. I got Sam." Steve called before turning the knob, a breath of relief flowing out of him at seeing her sitting up against the headboard of her bed, the comforter draped across her legs. She turned as the door opened and smiled softly at the two of them.

"Hey Sky." Sam pressed carefully, stepping in and aside as Steve shut the door quietly.

"Hi Sam. Have a seat, both of you." She gestured with her head to the large space still offered on her king size bed. Steve and Sam glanced at each other in a silent conversation before they both made their way towards the bed. Steve took a natural seat right beside her, wrapping an arm around her shoulder before she sat up and looked at him. Steve froze, thinking she was pushing him away, which Skylar easily noticed.

"I'm not pushing you away, I just want you both in front of me, face to face. Please." She looked at him sadly. Steve had a hard time agreeing, wanting to always be touching her but agreed dejectedly, taking a seat beside her right foot while Sam took a seat beside her left foot.

"So, what do you need to tell us Sky?" Sam asked carefully, rubbing her foot through the comforter.

Skylar on the other hand, pulled her eyes away from theirs to look at her fingers in her lap, silently planning how she was going to go about telling them this.

"There is more to my stay at Hydra, that I felt I needed to tell you both, well Steve, before anyone else. But it involves you also Sam." She explained, blinking away the tears growing as she looked at Sam.

"Alright Sky. I'm all ears." Sam nodded, urging Sky, letting her know that he was here for her.

Skylar looked away from Sam and met Steve's eyes, he looked so defeated as he stared across at her. She bit the inside of her cheek, feeling her chest constrict at the look he was giving her and instantly reached forward to hold his hand in hers.

"There was someone in Hydra that I met, actually 3 people. People that I know you 2 have interest in." She whispered, looking down to the veins peering through Steve's hand.

Sam's eyes widened at the news, his eyes quickly searching out Steve's, which, surprisingly enough, were already on him.

"Who?" Sam asked hesitantly as both men gave Skylar their full attention.

"Rumlow and Collins." She offered hesitantly, her eyes slowly lifting to look at Steve who looked like he was about to throw something through a wall.

"Those SHEILD traitors?" Sam asked in disbelief, looking over at Steve to see the same expression on his face.

"Did….did they do something to you Sky?" Steve was finding it hard to restrain himself, instead taking a deep soothing breath as her thumb brushed the back of his hand.

"No, not at all Steve. I only saw them at a distance or heard their name being mentioned by the other agents." She quickly explained, not wanting Steve to get the wrong idea of why she was telling him. Steve let out a deep breath, slightly relieved to know that.

"I told Hill and Fury about seeing them. They were meeting with Hydra, planning an attack on someone of importance, but I'm not sure who or when. It could have happened already for all I know. But Fury promised he'd look into it more." She added, squeezing Steve's hand, begging him to look at her, which he did with no hesitation.

"What are we going to do Cap?" Sam asked in thought, turning his hard eyes on Steve who continued to stare at Sky.

"There's another." She quickly interrupted, wanting to get it off her chest before it ate her alive. Both Steve and Sam quieted down, staring at her intently.

"Steve. He was there." She whispered, grabbing his hand in both hers, holding it to her cheek, her eyes showcasing the sadness in her voice. Steve blinked in confusion, not sure who she was talking about as he watched her eyes fill with tears.

"Bucky. I saw him. He was there." She finally confessed, feeling the way his hand stiffened as the name slipped past her lips.

"Sky. You saw him!" Sam sat straight, looking at Skylar for more answers as she nodded, never taking her eyes off of Steve.

"He helped me while I was in there. He stopped the guards from taking advantage of me. I knew who it was the instant I saw his face. They tried to erase him from my mind, but he never left. He meant so much to you, there was no possible way I could forget his face. He remembered you." She whispered, choking on a sob as tears spilled from her eyes at the sadness covering his own orbs.

"He tried to help me escape, but there were too many of them." She added, pulling her knees to her chest and away from Sam's touch, bringing Steve's hand closer to her, afraid he was going to run and do something dangerous.

"Sky, do you know where he is? Where Barnes is." Sam then asked urgently as she finally peeled her eyes from Steve to meet Sam's eyes once more.

"I know where he could be." She answered in a low voice, looking over in a panic as Steve's hand tightened around her own.

Sam looked at Steve once more, watching the super soldier hang his head, unable to meet anyone's eyes.

"You need to rest Sky. Gain back your energy." Steve commanded, wanting to sound like he was worried about her health, which he was. But deep inside, he wanted to beg her to tell him where Bucky was, or show him. But he couldn't. He knew that. He had to restrain himself from begging her for answers at the look of exhaustion and hurt that clouded her vision.

"Cap." Sam whispered hesitantly as Steve stood, pulling his hand from hers to pull the comforter up to her chin.

"We'll talk later okay? Rest for now." Steve ignored Sam, brushing her bangs from face before kissing her forehead.

"Sam, outside." Cap instructed, not meeting Sky's eyes as he left through the door into the hallway.

She felt her heart collapse.

* * *

 **So how was it? I rarely get reviews anymore ;_; Not sure if anyone's still enjoying my updates anymore.**

 **Until next week**


	20. Chapter 20

**So sorry this chapter got up later in the day. It's been a crazy ass weekend.**

 **My birthday was a Friday (22** **nd** **) Whoop! Whoop! Pretty much wasn't home till about midnight that day. Then we had a hurricane, turned tropical storm that came blowing through the islands with some crazy wind and rain. I was pretty much busy beyond belief Saturday and this morning. Had to board up our windows, get things tied down, dogs taken care of, food and water stored.**

 **Lucky for us, we dodged another bullet and the storm took a south turn before reaching us and went in the opposite direction. Still had rain and wind, but nothing damaging.**

 **Can you believe, last hurricane season, we had 15 hurricanes/tropical storms that came into our waters and every single one of them either changed direction right before hitting us, went around us, or just completely avoided us for unknown reasons? Yeah, we are blessed, definitely.**

 **But still, had to get this chapter out to you before I headed into bed tonight. Had to, had to, had to. Couldn't leave you guys hanging for too long! Lol**

 **So, a lot of people pointed out that my story is only about drama, hurt and angst, which I planned for it to be /shrugs/ I was tired of seeing all these lovey dovey, romance fics that went straight into the sappy stuff without any of the drama to kick it off. Anyways, in light of those people, I updated a more upbeat chapter that sort of showcases the interaction between Skylar and Clint.**

 **No. It's not a smut. Someone had pointed out that I don't do enough smut -_- which I want to point out, isn't the right time for the plot as of yet. But I do promise smut in the near future, just not right now. Okay? Okay!**

 **Anyways, enough talking, on to the story!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Marvel.**

* * *

The days following Skylar's confession we're nothing but quiet. Steve returned to Skylar's room later that night, slipping into bed with her. Skylar had waited for him to return, knowing he needed the time to process what she had said, but ended up falling sleep by the time he did.

Tony and Bruce were working hard in the lab, everything they had found out, now at the forefront of their minds as they worked alongside Clint and Tasha, in tracking down whatever Hydra base they could find, wanting nothing more than to unleash some serious revenge.

Thor hadn't returned yet, but they hoped that this man named Heimdall that he spoke of, could help in any way possible. They'd need whatever help they could get.

Sam and Steve had gathered quietly on the balcony once they left Skylar's room, Sam hesitant to leave the woman alone.

"Not a smart move man. She's lost so much already, she doesn't need you walking out like that." Sam scolded the soldier lightly as he approached him.

"From a man with experience in PTSD, that will have the opposite effect you think it will." Sam slid up beside Steve to see him sadly staring in the distance.

"I know. I just needed a second to breathe. I'll return to her soon." Steve promised, lifting a hand to rub his forehead.

"So, what's the plan? She knows somewhere Barnes could be." Sam knew there was no point in pushing Steve back to Skylar.

"We need to find Rumlow and Collins first. If what she says is true and it hasn't happened yet, someone's going to get hurt." He said seriously, his face taking on the Captain persona. The dark man beside him just nodded, turning his attention back out at the view.

"What about Barnes though? Are you going to ask her about him?" Sam nagged lightly as he turned to rest his back on the railing. Steve on the other hand sighed out, rubbing his forehead just a bit harder than need be.

"I want to, but I can't just yet. She's already had to do so much and go through so much. I just want her to rest for the time being." Steve muttered under his breath, almost fighting his legs to run back into that room and beg her to tell her where Bucky was hiding. Sam stared at the man, seeing the various expressions pass said man's face before glancing away.

In time, Steve would ask that burning question, but for now, Skylar's health was more important.

* * *

Days passed before Skylar had finally pulled herself from her room. She knew before emerging that everyone would practically be walking on egg shells around her now, especially after basically dissecting her own self and exposing all her secrets to those she cared about. It wasn't easy to spill or listen to, she knew that much, so she couldn't be upset or disheartened when everyone now kept a closer eye on her. But Skylar knew, it was for the best. They cared about her, as she cared about them, and only wanted to best for her, even if that seemed like a shadow in the darkness, they would still fight to give her what she deserved.

"Sky." Clint was the one that welcomed her as she stepped out into the shared living room. She stopped in the entryway to the hallway of Tony and her room, looking around surprised to see that no one else was present aside from the archer. The archer, just as she was, stared at her surprised to have seen her emerge from her room after being locked in there for days. No one had seen her aside from Steve, which was explainable.

"Where is everyone?" She whispered, running a hand through her bed hair, attempting to reassemble it as best as she could. Clint on the other hand, put the book he had been reading down and stood, standing there hesitantly while his eyes scanned her in concern.

"Down in the lab. Cap told me to let him know if you ever came out while he was down there." Clint offered as she silently patted over to the kitchen, filling a glass of water up.

"It's alright, Clint. No need to do that." She brushed it off as she gulped the entire glass before slipping it into the sink.

Still, Clint silently stood there, fiddling with his thumbs, unsure what to do as she absentmindedly strolled around the kitchen area.

"Are you hungry?" He asked awkwardly as she stopped in her walking, realizing what she had been doing and shook her head.

"No, sorry. I'm just…I don't know what to do with myself right now." She puffed her cheeks defeated before resting her elbows on the counter to bury her face in her hands. Clint chewed on the inside of his cheek before slowly and silently approaching her, not sure what he was going to say or do once he got to her side.

"We could hang out?" Clint offered nonchalantly as he stuffed his hands into his pockets and shrugged. Skylar, being taken off guard by the offer, glanced up to see him simply leaning against the counter beside her, his brow rose in a silent challenge. Even through everything, even after not emerging from her room for days, Clint still could easily put a smile on her face.

She sputtered her lips in laughter, pulling herself to stand before shaking her head in disbelief.

"And, tell me, 'Hawkeye'. What would we be doing in this 'hang out' you have offered?" She then asked teasingly, while poking fun at his agent name. He rolled his eyes, easily picking out the way that she had made fun of his nickname, like she used to do, and pulled his hands from his pockets to cross them over his chest.

"Hm…I'm sure we could whip up something. Maybe sneak through the air ducts again, scare the living crap out of Stark and the others. We could go prank the others, like we used to. I have to brush up on my pranking skills. They've been rusting, waiting for the perfect moment to resurrect." He joked in monotone sending her into another fit of laughter.

"Deal. But before we do that, do you know if Wanda woke up yet?" She had been dying to go and visit the telepath ever since that night, but hadn't found the courage to approach the woman in fear of being rejected for the monster she was. But as she woke up this morning, alone in bed, it gave her time to think about what to do. She needed to apologizes, even if it was out of her control, the right thing to do what apologize, especially for what she did. She couldn't even begin to imagine the pain she put that woman through.

The archer blinked in surprise by the woman's question before nodding.

"She did, the day after we moved you back up here from the lab. She's been keeping herself locked up in her room this entire time." Clint felt a small jolt of concern and anger at both Skylar and Wanda before he pushed it into the back of his mind. He knew, Skylar was too kind a person to have done something like that knowingly.

"Would it be alright to see if she'll talk to me? I'd really like to apologize for what I did." Skylar whispered embarrassed, rubbing the back of her neck as she did.

"Sure. But Sky, you know…." Clint made to put out her guilt at what she did, only for that same woman to interrupt him while she brushed past him back towards the hallway.

"No matter how many times people tell me that it's not my fault, I will always think it's my fault. Consciously or not, it came from me, from my mind and I used it to hurt you all, Wanda more than any. I will make this right so stop telling me it's not my fault. I already have Steve hounding me on that matter, if it's not too much to ask, I rather you be someone I can talk to without the constant reminder of what I did. Think you can do that for me, Bird boy?" She stopped near the entrance to the hallway enough to turn and glance over her shoulder at the stunned archer with a small smile.

Clint had to shake the thoughts running through his mind that her nickname for him brought up. Running an embarrassed hand through his hair, wanting nothing more than to scold her for thinking it was her fault, instead, he did what she asked, with a smile of his own growing across his face.

"You know I will." He answered charmingly as she smirked, shaking her head with soft laughter before disappearing down the hallway.

* * *

Within the next 20 minutes, the pair was changed and heading down the elevator to Wanda's floor. Skylar nervously bit on her cheek, her mind running away with the possibilities of what would happen once she came to face Wanda officially. Clint on the other hand, stood nervously beside the woman who was now unconsciously toying with the mechanics of the elevator.

He did not want to be stuck in an elevator when it fell. Send him into the fiery pits of hell to fight off the ugliest of aliens, but falling 60 floors to the ground, in a tin can? No thank you.

"Um….Sky?" Clint carefully began, stepping closer to the woman as the floor numbers on the screen began to flash randomly while the lights flickered.

Skylar, having not known what she was doing, blinked and turned to face the archer with a look of forced calmness yet an innocence he was used to seeing in her expression, though small.

"Yeah?" She asked as the elevator began to move once more without any trouble. Clint sighed in relief, rubbing his forehead to feel the clamminess that had started to grow there.

"Are you okay Clint? You're sweating like crazy." Skylar looked at him in concern, stepping up in front of him to glance up at him. Clint couldn't contain the small chuckle at the realization that she hadn't even realized what she had done.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Was just checking on you in all." Clint lied, knowing she hadn't realized what she was doing. Skylar stared at him for a bit longer before nodding, unable to catch if he was lying or telling the truth.

But before she could dig into it, the elevator stopped before recognizable _beep_ echoed through the tin can.

"Floor 52, Ms. Stark." Friday's smooth voice spoke through the intercom before the doors opened.

"Thanks Friday." She thanked awkwardly, not waiting for Clint as she stepped into the entryway leading to the woman's living room before scanning it. She didn't want to sneak up on the woman, but some part of her was hoping she wasn't around. She was afraid of the woman's reaction to seeing her.

"Ms. Stark." Another familiar voice, one she wasn't expecting, took her attention to the opposite side of the room, where the once AI, stood floating in the middle of the kitchen with a cup of tea in his hand.

"Oh Jar—I mean, Vision." She quickly corrected herself, glancing at Clint unsure, who simply nodded in her direction.

"I am quite glad to see you up and about, Ms. Stark. It has been some time since I last saw you walking." Vision explained innocently as his feet slowly touched the ground. Skylar chuckled forcefully before rubbing her arm, unsure what to do or say.

"Sky came to see Wanda. Is she around?" Clint cut to the chase, knowing it would be some time, if any at all, before Sky picked up the courage to say anything regarding the woman. Skylar on the other hand, gasped in horror before reaching over to whack the archer.

"Ow! What the hell Sky?" He rubbed his sore arm, glaring non-threateningly at her.

"Why'd you say anything?" She whispered outraged as Clint snorted.

"Because I know you too well. We'll be playing 21 questions for the next hour with an AI before you grow the balls to ask." Clint added back, watching as Skylar glared hard at him, silently wishing for the man to blow up in flames.

"She is. Have you come to see her, Ms. Stark?" Vision ignored the bantering and instead inquired straight from the source. Said woman, looked over at the AI both innocently and fearful as she chewed her lip. She couldn't speak and instead forced a nod out, knowing if she didn't do it, Clint would beat her to the chase.

Vision glanced back and forth from the billionaires cousin to the archer before returning to the woman.

"She's right this way." Vision answered, placing his teacup down before gesturing towards the hallway he was already heading into.

"Hurry up. Go." Clint softly urged, pushing the woman when it seemed her feet had suddenly rooted to the ground.

"Hey. Stop your pushing!" She hissed back at him, using both her hands to whack his own away.

"Nope. You said you needed me to be someone you can count on, so I'm going to be crawling up your ass every day of the week. Get ready for the annoying side of me, it's quite a sight to behold, did ya know?" He teased as he gripped her shoulders, continuing to push her down the hallway and after the AI. Skylar snorted at his words, rolling her eyes while momentarily forgetting why she was being pushed down the hallway in the first place.

"Pfft. How are you any different during any other time of the week?" She spat back teasing as he laughed sarcastically.

"Har-Har-Har. There's that beautiful sarcasm." He teased back before they both stopped at seeing Vision now standing beside an open doorway.

"Holy shit." Skylar softly cursed under her breath, completely rooting her feet to the ground once realization set in.

"Oh stop being a whimp. I'll go with you if you need me to." Clint used all his strength to push the woman closer to the AI that was now watching them in mild amusement.

"She is on the balcony." Vision gestured while both Skylar and Clint hesitantly peeked around the corner to see that the balcony doors were open with her lush violet curtains flapping in the wind.

"Are you sure it's alright? I mean, if she's told you she hates me, I'd totally understand because…" Skylar felt the hesitant side of her beginning to back out while a small part of her was nagging her to grow a pair and apologizes like she had originally planned to. Vision tilted his head innocently before shaking his head.

"No, Ms. Stark. I have never heard those words from Ms. Maximoff. She is still very fond of you." Vision interrupted Skylar's rant.

"What?" Skylar asked like a fish out of water, her wide eyes taking in the AI's words.

"See. Nothing to it. Come on." Clint pushed her into the room, laughing as she stumbled over her two left feet before glaring at him.

"I will wait out here. Please call for me if you are in need of any assistance." Vision added from the open doorway, never stepping in as Clint dragged her across the room.

"Sure will Vi. Thanks." Clint waved off the AI before Skylar began trying to rip her arm out of his grip, softly begging him to stop.

"No. Clint. Stop. Give me a second. Please." She begged through a whisper, grabbing on to various types of furniture in her path. Clint in turn, stopped dragging said woman and instead, turned, grabbing her face between his hands while starring at her hazel eyes seriously.

"No. You need to do this. I know you Sky. Wanda is one of your closest friends. You both won't heal unless you do this. You need each other." His kind eyes took her own in, while Skylar stared up at him desperately.

She knew she needed to apologize, but fear was slowly taking over. Ever since arriving back home and being reunited with her friends and family, fear had a backseat to everything else. She was relieved and also concerned, more than fear. But now that her abilities were out in the open, along with her kept secrets, the fear was all too real.

The fear of losing her family.

The fear of losing her friends.

The fear of losing Steve.

And the worst of all…the fear of losing herself.

To some extent, she knew that she could contain the abilities growing inside her, to a certain extent. But dimension traveling, she couldn't. It happened on its own accord which only scared her more. She had no control of it. She never knew what was going to happen, where she was going to be, who she was going to see or what would become of her or her mind. She always silently prayed that she would never lose herself. But waking from those episodes, not recognizing people she loved and grew up with, scared her more than anything. It was a silent warning to what was to come if she couldn't find a way to fight back.

She could possibly completely lose herself if she wasn't too careful, along with those she loved dearly.

That's when fear began to take a front seat to her mind.

She was scared.

* * *

 **So there is it. How was it? It was a bit more upbeat compared to usual right? I wanted to show Clint and Skylar's playful side towards each other. Strictly friends, keep that in mind. I have no plans for Skylar to get back with Clint. Also, a small cameo from Vision since I realized I haven't been putting him in enough [the poor guy]**

 **Anyways, it's obvious, next chapter will be Skylar and Wanda's interaction after everything that has taken place.**

 **Keep an eye out for it!**

 **Until next Sunday!**

 **See ya~**


	21. Chapter 21

**LONGEST CHAPTER TO DATE! WHOOP WHOOP! /throws confetti around/**

 **Had to post this up a bit earlier this weekend! Won't be around Sunday. Nonetheless, got this out to you, half asleep might I add lol I'm impressed with myself that I was able to get this much word done, at 2 am, while half asleep.**

 **Enjoy my sleep induced update! lol**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Marvel**

* * *

"Danger is very real but fear is a choice." A voice broke through their serious conversation as both turned towards the opened balcony door to see the woman they had come to visit, now standing there. Clint smiled at the younger woman, pulling his hands from Sky's face before stepping out of the woman's personal space.

"And there she is. How are you feeling?" Clint distracted her, while one of his hands reached out to tap Skylar's hand, silently informing her to speak before it got even more awkward.

"I am fine." She answered simply, her eyes quickly panning back to Skylar who was now standing there like a deer in the headlights. Clint looked over at Sky and inwardly sighed, knowing exactly how the woman was feeling. He had felt the same way when Loki took over his mind all those years ago. He was afraid Tasha was mad at him for such a long time. But in the end, he had been worried for nothing.

"Skylar came to see you." Clint broke the awkward silence that was brewing and gave Skylar a good shove. Having not expected it, she stumbled forward, barely stopping herself with a hand to the glass door before turning to glare at Clint.

"I'll wait in here while you two chat for a bit. Be good." Clint teased, nudging his head forward at Skylar who only glared harder, wanting nothing more than to drag him over the balcony.

"Oh. Alright. We can sit out here." Wanda quickly offered, stepping back onto the balcony before disappearing around the curtains.

"Go. You'll be fine." Clint whispered, waving his hand for Skylar to follow said woman.

"I hate you. You know that right?" She muttered back as he laughed and nodded.

"Hate me all you want, it's alright. Now go." He gestured with his head once more, plopping down on a comfortable chair sitting in the corner of Wanda's room. Skylar watched him in annoyance before sighing out in defeat, knowing she wouldn't be able to back out of this now. She took one more look at Clint before turning back to the balcony door. Mentally, she pushed herself forward, stepping out into the warm New York air and around the door to where Wanda was silently waiting for her on a pair of lounge chairs.

Seeing that there was nowhere else to sit, Skylar silently walked over, fidgeting as she quietly plopped down into the empty lounge chair.

"It's quite the view, is it not?" Wanda's voice pulled her from her inner thoughts as she blinked and looked over to see the woman staring off at the view of New York.

"New York has always had its own type of charm. Takes some time to get used to." Skylar agreed, surprised to have found her voice.

It grew quiet between the two for some time while it was beginning to slowly eat up Skylar, inside. She needed to apologize. She had to. She could never live with herself if she didn't apologize for what she did to Wanda. She'd never forgive herself or even begin to forgive herself if she didn't.

"I'm sorry Wanda." It came out suddenly that it had taken Skylar completely by surprise. She blinked a few times before realizing that she had actually said it out loud and stared in horror at the woman beside her. Wanda hadn't turned to her, or even acknowledge the fact that she had heard her apology. Was that a good or bad sign, she didn't know, but it was festering inside her to get it off her chest.

"I'm sorry for what I did to you Wanda. I never meant to hurt you or the others. Never." She added desperately, just wanting the woman to turn and yell at her. Anything. But not ignore her. That was the worst feeling in the world.

"These abilities…..I am still learning to control them and I hurt you all while doing that." She whispered as she lifted her hands to stare at them.

"When both my brother and I were still with Hydra, it took us both time and pain to get used to our abilities. I remember we both hurt each other, unintentionally while learning about them. It hurt but we never gave up and instead promised each other that we would learn and persevere beyond what they believed we were capable of." Wanda whispered, pulling her knees to her chest before resting her chin there.

Skylar felt terrible. No. Worse than terrible.

"But I do not hate or despise you for what you did." Wanda added, lifting her eyes to finally meet Skylar's surprised ones.

"I know how Hydra works. I know the lengths they go to in order to achieve what they want most. I know the pain that comes through those trials and those that still follow me today. It is not easy." She explained honestly, never moving her eyes from Skylar's.

"And I know, you would not intentionally hurt me or the others." She added softly as tears began to fill Sky's hazel orbs.

"How…how can you not hate me for what I did? What I made you see?" Skylar whispered through a shaky voice, wanting to know what was truly happening inside her friends head. Wanda wiped at the invisible tears and chuckled, albeit forcefully before looking back to the view.

"Because, though we aren't as close as the others, I can still see the kindness and care you put into the safety of the others. You are not the type of person to knowingly harm a person, no matter what the circumstances." Wanda went on to explain while Skylar continued to stare at the woman astonished.

How could this woman forgive her so easily?

"If you would like, I could possibly help you with it? With your telepathy and visions." Wanda awkwardly added, pointing to her head for emphasis while Skylar looked at her surprised.

"Help me?" Skylar squeaked out shocked causing Wanda to chuckle a bit and glance over at her.

"I'll accept your apology if you let me do just this much for you. I never had someone to teach me how to control or properly use my abilities till I met Vision, it might help, even just a bit." Wanda added with a kind smile.

How she deserved these sort of people, she would never understand. But she would not take them for granted.

* * *

Clint had left sometime after hearing their conversation, with a smile on his face. He knew, Wanda would be able to help Skylar as best as she could.

"Barton." Tasha greeted the archer as he climbed off the elevator and into the lab. Just that name alone, caught everyone's attention as said man had been specifically assigned to Skylar's personal babysitter while everyone else was down in the lab doing what they could. The announced man, waved simply at everyone before pulling up a seat beside Tasha to see that she had been typing away on some government site.

"Aren't you supposed to be upstairs?" Tasha rose a brow at her friend's easy persona.

"More specifically, watching Sky." Tony added back, on edge, while Cap glanced hard at the archer.

"Oh, calm down will ya? She's fine. She woke up and wanted to see Wanda so I took her downstairs. She's with Wanda and Vi's watching them both. She's fine." Clint reassured with large breath of air.

Steve's shoulders deflated a bit at the news, relief flooding his system Tasha rose her hand.

"Found something guys!" She called as she typed further into the computer while everyone quickly converged around her.

"Germany, two weeks ago. Look who we have." She pointed out a fuzzy image of a recognizable Collins standing beside a masked man.

"Who's the masked man?" Clint asked over Tasha's shoulder as she shrugged, enhancing the image a bit to see that the man was completely covered from head to toe in some type of armor, his masked painted with a white skull.

"Crossbones." Steve answered as he slapped a file he had been holding, down onto the empty space beside the laptop.

"He's been all over the net recently." Sam added as Nat began flipping through the file which held various news clippings of killings, robberies in high end laboratories.

"This guy seems to be searching for something? Has he found it?" Bruce inputted while Steve shook his head.

"Obviously not. Look at the building in the photo." He nudged his head for Nat to do just that. She clicked on the screen, typing away on her computer a bit more before chuckling in disbelief.

"Sorry, my German's a bit rusty." Tony pushed sarcastically.

"It's a German Center for Disease Control." Tasha added in a brief explanation.

"So this guy is obviously looking for something that isn't nice. Actually, the opposite of nice considering the nasty diseases the CDC has at their disposal." Bruce's voice took on a serious note while everyone else simply nodded in agreement.

"What do we do Cap?" Tasha asked away, her eyes quickly finding those of the man she was speaking to. Steve on the other hand, crossed his arms over his chest, his face contorting into a certain seriousness.

"I say, Sam, Nat and I go to Germany. See what we can dig up." Clint volunteered surprising everyone who had been silently waiting for the Cap's command. Clint shrugged instead, knowing by the look on Steve's face, that he wanted to go yet didn't want to leave Sky just yet.

"It's pretty obvious to everyone that Sky is your number one responsibility right now Cap, but we don't blame you. That's the way it should be. So let the 3 of us go in, see what we can dig up then report back. Piece of cake." Clint interrupted Steve once he noticed the man open his mouth, no doubt to disagree, but he really couldn't. Clint had caught him by the tongue.

The thought of leaving Sky behind, so soon, sent a ton of bricks clattering loudly into his stomach. He couldn't do it. He had no will power to do it, ever again. He had lost her once, and even at the safety of the planet, he would never do it again.

Steve sighed, in obvious defeat before hanging his head.

"Quick extraction of information, that's all." He commanded with authority to the trio who nodded in understanding.

"Nothing more. In and out. Communications at all times." Steve wanted to know everything that the trio found out from the second they landed in Germany.

"Cap. Most of us are biologically older than you. We've got this." Sam teased, patting the man on the shoulder.

"Plus, Sky needs you more than us right now. We've been through this thousands of times." Tasha pointed out playfully while Steve narrowed his eyes at her.

He could trust the 3, he knew that much.

* * *

"Alright. So what I need you to try is shut your eyes and concentrate first." Wanda instructed as the pair sat in the middle of Wanda's bed, their legs crossed under them.

"Concentrate." Sky repeated in a heavy breath as she slowly shut her eyes, letting her arms rest in her lap.

"Yes. Very good. Now I need you to clear your mind of everything. Everything and anything." She whispered this time, her eyes intently watching Sky's face just like Vision was doing from beside the bed.

"Easier said than done." She whispered back exasperated.

"Concentrate." Wanda both scolded and reminded as Sky shook out her hands, letting out a deep breath before collecting herself once more.

"Good." Wanda commented, peeking into Sky's mind briefly to see that Sky was pushing all other thoughts into the back of her mind.

"Now, I want to try something. I want you to think of something happy, a memory that you cherish, something that neither VI nor I know of and project that into our minds." Wanda then offered as Sky's eyes opened in surprise.

"Into your minds? You want me to project one of my memories into your heads?" She repeated hesitantly, knowing what had happened the last time she was in Wanda's head. The Sokovian nodded, reaching out to take the woman's hand in a silent show of comfort and confidence.

"It'll be fine, I promise. Vision would not let any harm come to either one of us. Trust me." Wanda reassured Sky who forcefully nodded, momentarily glancing at the AI who stared at her intently.

"Alright. If you say so." Sky muttered, a part of her completely against it but a bigger part of her wanting nothing more than to try it out.

Sky took one last breath before shutting her eyes and doing as she was instructed.

"Concentrate on that memory, keep a tight hold of it. Let it run through your mind a few times, keep hold of the emotion and the way it made you feel. Once you have complete control of the context of it, open your eyes and project it." Wanda continued to hold Sky's hands, easily feeling the hesitant way Sky was going about this. The woman's fear was so thick, you could cut it with a knife, easily, but she wanted to do just this simple thing for Skylar.

She hoped to help, even just a bit.

A few seconds later, when a memory she particularly cherished, rotated through her mind again, she slowly opened her now violet eyes and stared over at Wanda, feeling the way her memory slowly began to project itself straight into Wanda.

* * *

 ** _Clink. Clank. Crash._**

 **"** **Shit!" A voice cursed loudly into the large empty space, only feeding the echo that continued on and on.**

 **"** **Hello?" Another voice entered the frame as Sky slowly slid out from under Clint's newest toy, a personalized and lethal dune buggy that he recently brought back, basically hanging on its last life. Grease marks littering her face now joined by a growing bruise to her forehead, she slid out completely from under the machine, searching out the voice to find Steve staring down at her in amusement.**

 **Sky in return, met his baby blues, her eyes taking a quick scan of his form to see that he had either just woke up or was coming up from the gym. She did love that man in his sweats. Blushing slightly, thanking any heavenly being that she was covered in grease, she cleared her throat and quickly sat up, realizing her current wardrobe, short torn jean shorts and a stained wife beater that showed off a lot of skin along with her bra underneath.**

 **"** **Oh, it's you Sky. What are you doing up here so early?" Steve addressed, glancing away quickly when Sky turned and picked herself up off the ground, adjusting her shorts.**

 **"** **Couldn't sleep so I figured I'd surprise Bird Boy and fix his new toy. Bastard can't seem to keep anything in one piece." She muttered the last part annoyed, kicking the back tire in frustration.**

 **Steve silently watched as she maneuvered around the buggy and to the engine the back, wincing slightly before lifting a hand to rub her forehead. That's when he realized all the noises he had heard along with her cursing. She hurt herself.**

 **"** **You're hurt." He took a step forward unconsciously, his eyes painted in concern.**

 **Sky looked up surprised by his comment, blushing slightly at the look of concern the man was giving her before she turned back to the engine quickly.**

 **"** **It's fine. I've had worse." She shrugged it off, not wanting to make a complete fool of herself, though if Tasha could see the easy way she was bending over for America's Golden Boy, that woman would never let her live it down. Oh how this man could make her do and say things she never intended to say or do.**

 **Unfortunately for her, Steve wasn't the type to roll over and shrug anything that had to do with her, off. He moved quickly over to the hangers fridge, pulling out the coldest thing he could find, which ironically happened to be a bag of frozen strawberries and approached Sky. She had been ignoring the man, silently hoping the man would leave before she did or said anything to embarrass herself further, but nothing ever went her way. Before she could turn to see where he had gone, a hand shut around her upper arm before she was spinning, her rump finding the side of the buggy before a very cold sensation invaded her space. She gasped, both in surprise and pain, as a very icy feeling encased the growing bruise on her head. She reached up to push it away or even whack at it, but was met by that same hand that had grabbed her, now pushing her hand away.**

 **"** **No, you need to ice it Sky. It's a pretty big bruise already." She wanted to complain, push him away and act like that tough girl she normally was, but the moment her eyes met his, she was at a lost for words.**

 **How long had she been admiring this man?**

 **Too long.**

 **How long had just finally stepped up and realized, that in fact, she had feelings for this man?**

 **Too long.**

 **How long had she gone and ignored said feelings, brushing them off as infatuation, just like any other girl in the world?**

 **Too long.**

 **How long had she lied about what she truly felt?**

 **How long had she lied to Tasha and spit out profanity after profanity whenever a topic on said man came up?**

 **For too long.**

 **Sky couldn't pinpoint the exact moment she realized she had feelings, beyond friendship, for said man, but now that she was standing within inches of him, she couldn't breathe. It was like all the air in the room got sucked out instantly as she was stuck, starving for air and floating. Was this was love felt like? She hadn't experienced love in such a long time but standing this close to a man, she 'might' feel that way for, she could practically hear her heart thumping loudly in her chest.**

 **She didn't want to lie anymore. She didn't want to ignore those feelings anymore. She couldn't.**

 **She couldn't ignore him anymore.**

 **Steve was having his own inner battle and felt the way his skin heated up at the simple touch of pushing her hand away. He hadn't realized he took a step to stop her from pulling the bag away until his much larger frame was now towering over her much smaller one.**

 **He knew how deadly she was, just like Romanoff, but he also knew how much of an opposite she was from the assassin and he couldn't help but think that's what attracted him to her. She reminded him of Peggy. From the very first moment he had met her in New York along with her cousin Tony, he knew right off the bat, she wasn't like any other woman he knew or had come across.**

 **This woman, standing in front of him, was very strong. Strong in every sense of the word. Physically and mentally. She could take down a grown man within seconds and you wouldn't see her coming till she was hovering over you, with you on your back. It was quite impressive. But not only was she strong and talented, but she also carried her own charm and beauty, both of which was physical and mental as well.**

 **Skylar had such a beautiful and large heart that Steve had found it hard to believe that she was blood relatives with an egotistical Tony Stark. Sure, Howard wasn't anything like his son, but Sky, she held such a large heart was anyone and everyone around her, especially those she cared about. He had seen it so many times on missions.**

 **This is why he had fell so hard for this woman.**

 **With no way out, he had fallen in love with her and found it impossible to approach. They held such a great friendship and that was one thing he did not want to jeopardize if he had grown the audacity to confess with the chance that she would be disgusted by that fact.**

 **"** **You're staring Rogers." Her voice pulled him from his thoughts as he blinked his eyes a few times, meeting her hazel ones.**

 **Sky wasn't even sure where she had found her voice since she still felt like she was suffocating,** ** _for the love of god he smells good_** **, but she didn't want to make anything awkward and decided to pull her playful card in hopes that it would lighten the air just a bit.**

 **Meeting her eyes did nothing for him, neither did her words, reminding him that he had been staring at her the entire time, looking like a fool.**

 ** _Pull yourself together and get away from this man_** **. Skylar's inner self was yelling at her to pull away and turn but no such luck.**

 ** _Do something you idiot! This is your chance!_** **Steve's inner self was screaming at him to grow some balls and do something, but he couldn't find the courage to do it. No. He couldn't.**

 **"** **Ms. Stark." Jarvis's voice startled both occupants from their staring contest, enough split them just a few inches.**

 **"** **Y-yes Jar?" She answered, clearing her throat as she picked up the dropped bag of frozen strawberries, horrified at the thoughts in her head.**

 **"** **Ms. Romanoff would like me to remind you that you have training later this afternoon and that sleep is vital." Jarvis's voice took on a teasing tone causing Skylar to unconsciously snort at the message.**

 **"** **Thanks Jar. Tell Tash I no longer need my mother hounding me to sleep." She playfully added back, tossing the bag onto the seat of the buggy behind her.**

 **"** **Very good Ms. Stark." Jarvis answered before it was silent once more.**

 **Steve peered away quickly when Skylar lifted her eyes to search out his, both clearing their throats and the awkward tension now floating between them.**

 **"** **Well, that's my call Cap. The assassin is stalking me and insists I sleep. Good night." She awkwardly joked at her words, silently gagging when she realized it wasn't funny at all and slapped a hand to her face, mortified. She brushed past him quickly, wanting nothing more than the floor to swallow her up. But before the floor could contemplate her beg, the same warm hand from earlier, grabbed her arm once more and spun her.**

 **She wanted to yell at him, tell him to stop grabbing her like she was a piece of meat but instead, she was met by surprise. Surprise and speechlessness. There was no way these soft and luscious things pressed against her lips were Steve's own.**

 **Heart thundering in her chest, hands growing clammy, ears echoing, she blinked a few times before realizing with such happiness, that yes, Steve was indeed kissing her, awkwardly, yet that didn't matter to her.**

 **And what did she do? She wasted no time and returned the gesture, with more enthusiasm than the man had originally thought as her arms quickly wrapped around his neck, pulling him even closer to her.**

 **Steve was so caught off guard by her reaction to his spontaneous kiss, that the pair stumbled over themselves before Sky was all but pressed up and bent over the front of the buggy, one of Steve's arms the only thing having stopped them from completely folding into the compartment of chairs.**

 **Sky was kissing him back.**

 **Steve was kissing her. He initiated a kiss.**

 **Both were ecstatic and inwardly squealing in happiness that such a thing was happening after so long.**

 **Moments passed before both pulled away for much needed air, panting, and their lips millimeters from each other as they stared at one another.**

 **"** **What was that for?" She whispered out of breath, her hazel eyes unable to pull away from his baby blues.**

 **"** **For being you. I…..I like you, Skylar Stark." Steve stumbled over his words a bit, more embarrassed then anything. When was the last time he confessed to a girl, or kissed one for that matter? A long time.**

 **Skylar blinked up at him in surprise, her heart throbbing in her chest while her hands unconsciously gripped at the collar of his shirt.**

 **"** **You….you like me?" Her voice no longer carried that confident demeanor and instead showcased her vulnerable side.**

 **Steve easily picked up on it and smiled softly down at her, pulling her to stand straight up so that he could use his now free hand to caress her cheek.**

 **"** **For quite some time." He confessed as his warm hand encased her cheek.**

 **"** **I know I'm going at this all wrong and my mother would rise from the dead to scold me for it, if she could, but I couldn't stop myself any longer." He whispered this time, his eyes seeming to get lost in her own while her orbs searched out his for any hidden lie she could find.**

 **But she found none. Why was she not surprised? This was Captain America for god sake. For as long as she knew the man, she knew she could trust him and have complete faith in him on missions. Why was this any different?**

 **She stared at him for a bit longer, slowly beginning to notice the worried and hesitant expression that was beginning to take over his smile and felt her heart crumble. She didn't want to see that look on his face, not ever.**

 **She wasted no time and instead stood on her tippy toes to push her lips back against his. She wanted him to know how she felt about it also.**

 **"** **I like you too Rogers." She whispered against his lips, pushing away that hesitation and horror that was building in his gut before he pushed his lips back against hers. Steve's arms tightened around her waist in such happiness at her words, that the pair hadn't noticed the sound of approaching footsteps till it was too late.**

 **"** **Woah! Seriously!?" A voice screeching, sending the pair stumbling apart before meeting the shocked and pissed look of, no other than, Tony himself.**

* * *

Slowly, tears fell from her eyes before her violet eyes carefully melted back into hazels. Both Wanda and Vision, silently sat there, glancing at one another in surprise before turning back to the woman that was viciously wiping at her cheeks.

"Sorry about that. I'm not usually one to get sappy." She laughed uncomfortably before Vision took the cue to give the women some privacy.

"It's alright. That's no reason to apologize at all. It was quite a happy memory." Wanda reassured the woman that had now resorted to using her sleeves to wipe at her cheeks.

"I know it's not, it's just….." Skylar whispered, sniffling as she peered down at her hands.

"Ever since I've returned home, it seems like, the relationship I once had with Steve is nothing like in the past." She whispered hesitantly, looking up at Wanda. Wanda stared at the woman for a moment before softly smiling, reaching a hand out once more to hold Skylar's.

"It may not be the same but that doesn't mean that it can't be the same. A lot of things have happened between the two of you, but yet, the way you feel for each other hasn't changed. It's obvious to everyone. Captain Rogers still loves you, undyingly and it is no guess that you also feel the same way." She started before chuckling.

"How much I wish I had what you have with the Captain. You are very blessed to have someone that cares for you as much as he does." Wanda added, though Skylar could see the uncomfortable twitch of Wanda's eyebrow.

Realizing that the topic had suddenly taken an emotion turn, she smiled back as best as she could and nodded.

"How did I do?" She wanted to quickly change the subject while Wanda smiled, thankfully and nodded.

"You are quite skilled and talented. It seems to me that you can easily manipulate the mind at your beckon. If you'd like, we could try this as often as you want, just to help you relax and train a bit. Vision can also help with anything you need." Wanda thankfully kept on the ball, keeping the subject away from Skylar's earlier blunder.

"I'd like that, very much. Thank you Wanda."

* * *

 **So, how was it? Hope it was alright. I wrote this half asleep lol Sorry about the grammar mistakes and anything else you may run across. I wasn't sure when I was going to be able to update this week and didn't want you all to wait. If I have a chance, I'll run through it again and edit any mistakes.**

 **Until next week!**


	22. Chapter 22

**A little short, but it's out! Lol**

 **No note this week aside from my mind being my worst enemy lol**

 **Enjoy anyways!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Marvel.**

* * *

During the weeks that passed, Skylar was able to forge a better relationship with Wanda, someone she hadn't been close with originally. The female pair spent many hours a day, locked in either of their rooms, silently sitting with each other. Most days, Wanda did what she became accustomed to and helped Skylar with further controlling her abilities, well those Wanda had knowledge with. When it came to technology manipulation, Wanda helped as best as she could with Vision adding insight here and there.

That was until she finally explained to Vision and Wanda about her dimension travels. Both sat there, quietly, intently listening to Skylar explain what had happened the few times that she was able to travel, that she remembered anyways.

"Vi. Is it possible?" Wanda quickly asked the AI who had not moved from his spot beside her. The AI in turn, glanced at the Scarlett Witch with calculating eyes before turning back to the confusing woman.

"I have never heard of such a thing." Vision's soft voice further fed Wanda's worry at hearing of the woman's hidden ability.

"I am not surprised. Hydra made it. They made me this." Skylar whispered, chuckling in disbelief and annoyance as she lifted a hand to inspect it.

"They did not know what they were creating until it happened, am I right?" Vi then asked intrigued as Skylar's hazel eyes met the AI's.

"So it would seem. Hydra really isn't intelligent enough to know what they were making beforehand. They only hoped they'd make something they could use and they were lucky enough to get something out of it." She sighed loudly, curling a stray hair behind her ear.

"How…..how does it work? Can you control it?" Wanda then asked, her curious side briefly taking over as Skylar stared at her, knowing she couldn't be upset at the woman's curiosity to her unknown ability. It was normal reaction.

"No. I cannot control it, yet. And, I don't know how it works. It happens when it wants, most of the time when I'm asleep, I'll wake up in the other dimension." She explained as best as she could.

"Have you tried to control it? Tape into it at will?" Wanda then asked hesitantly, knowing from the look on Skylar's face, that this was particularly sensitive subject. Skylar hung her head, shaking it slowly.

"I haven't." She didn't want to control it, she wanted nothing to do with it but ever since waking up from her last episode, things had been changing. Like her recent travel had opened something she had no control over.

They were around. She could feel them, sometime see them.

She had allowed them to pass into her world.

What had further proved that feeling, happened a few nights prior.

* * *

 **Skylar sat quietly in the shared living room of the Avengers tower, her finger silently tapping the control as the channels changed viciously between each other.**

 **"** **How do you know what the hell is playing if you're switching between channels like that?" Tony's voice barked out from behind the bar as she snorted, glancing back at him mildly irritated.**

 **"** **How about you worry about nursing that hangover of yours?" She spat back teasingly as Tony glared at her.**

 **"** **Sassy brat." He muttered under his breath as he held a half filled glass of some sort of alcohol, to his temple.**

 **"** **Serves you right for drinking, again." She added back sarcastically as she turned her attention back to the television in front of her.**

 **"** **I'm slowly seeing why my dad liked you so much. You sound like my mother." He spat back as she threw her head back, laughing overly dramatic.**

 **"** **Poor Aunt Maria. She had to deal with your destructive ass. Imagine having a child anywhere close to you, I'm already dreading the headaches." She muttered under her breath while Tony hissed, tossing a couch pillow at the back of her head, which stopped a floated centimeters from her hair. Tony gaped in surprise, knowing that Skylar didn't openly use her abilities, at all for that matter.**

 **Skylar hadn't even realized she had used her telekinetic until it grew quiet, she turned to glance at Tony from over the couch, finally noticing the pillow hovering in the air behind her. She blinked in surprise a few times before watching in shock as the plush material plopped to the tile ground behind the couch.**

 **"** **You scare me sometimes, you know that?" He commented as he continued the rest of the way to the couches, plopping down anything but charmingly. She peered over at the pillow, lost in thought before glaring over at Tony.**

 **"** **And you think I'm not?" She hissed back, shutting off the television before reaching up to massage her forehead.**

 **"** **So, how are you feeling? Any changes?" The atmosphere quickly took a more calming tone as she peered through her fingers at him.**

 **"** **Aside from the constant headaches, nope, feeling just peachy." She sarcastically answered, leaning back against the cushions, her feet resting on the table.**

 **"** **Well, Brucey and Dr. Cho are doing everything they can but we haven't broke any ground on it." Tony sighed, looking away, slightly disappointed in himself equally for not being able to find a way to help his cousin.**

 **It grew quiet for a few moments, Skylar opened her mouth to say something nice to her cousin only for the words to disappear down her throat. A sudden, familiar, bone chilling shiver ran up her spine as she quickly turned her head, expecting someone to be standing just behind her, only to find the far end of the living room, completely empty.**

 **Her eyes flashed back and forth across the room, knowing someone had been standing behind her just seconds before, but finding herself stunned as she couldn't pin a person.**

 **"** **Sky." Tony called again, noticing the sudden change in demeanor of the female. When she didn't respond to her name, he quickly sat forward, placing his glass on the table before looking in the direction she was.**

 **"** **Sky, what is it?" He whispered this time, mild panic setting in at the look on his cousins' face.**

 **Something was wrong.**

 **She blinked a few more times before slowly relaxing back into her seat when she found nothing out of place. Maybe it was her nerves. She hadn't been sleeping well, she was exhausted.**

 **She let out a breath, she hadn't known she was holding in before turning to meet Tony's worried expression.**

 **"** **My mind is playing tricks on me. I haven't been sleeping well." She lied as she rubbed her forehead again.**

 **"** **Are you sure?" Tony wasn't convinced with the way she was now fidgeting uncomfortably in her seat.**

 **Skylar on the other hand, glanced over at Tony briefly, wondering if she should confide in him only to shake off the thought and turn back to the blank television.**

 **"** **It's really nothing, calm down." She defended as Tony's eyes narrowed in suspicion before he slowly leaned back into his own seat, his eyes never leaving her own.**

 **Tony continued to stare at her, waiting for a change in expression, which came not long after. Skylar's body tensed again, the feeling of someone breathing down her neck, easy to pinpoint before her eyes slowly flashed over to Tony. Someone was standing behind her, she knew.**

 **"** **Sky." Tony carefully addressed, seeing the blood drain from the woman's face.**

 **She swallowed heavily, the healed wound on her leg twitched in pain as she leaned forward ever so slightly, her mind losing itself with possibilities. If Tony hadn't noticed something or someone dangerous behind her, there was only one explanation.**

 **With the way her leg stung at the breath on her neck, she knew immediately who or what it was.**

 **Swallowing back the bile once more, shutting her eyes momentarily, she opened them, meeting Tony's eyes briefly before her eyes quickly flashed violet, her eyes shooting out and behind her.**

 **Within that spilt second, the lights above her rattled loudly before shattering as the electricity within them, shot out and into a random section of the room. To Tony, it looked to have hit an invisible wall before an ear piercing shriek pierced the air. Tony dove behind the couch before yanking Skylar behind it as the sound of something exploding echoed through the room. The billionaire, suddenly panting out of breath, stared wide eyed at Skylar's panting figure curled up beside him. He took the opportunity of the silence that took over the room and peeked over to see the room empty, though a black scorch mark was now staining his tile floor, he gaped and turned back to look at his cousin.**

 **"** **What the hell was that?" Tony demanded, watching as his cousin pulled herself from the protection of his arms to stand, staring at the spot she had seen that black mass just seconds before her mind reacted to protect her.**

 **"** **Call the others Tony. Something's wrong." She whispered, rubbing the wound through her shorts.**

* * *

The group had reacted the way she knew they would when she realized what had happened. After dimension traveling so many times, she had begun to think about the possibility of something following her back to the real world. And she was right. The moment she felt that familiar sting to her person, she knew. Something was wrong. And it was. They had followed her to the real world.

* * *

 **"** **Wait. Wait. Wait. Doll, are you saying, these shadow people followed you back into the real world?" Steve was pacing the back of the couch she was sitting on, while Tasha and Clint assumed their positions on either side of her.**

 **"** **That's exactly what I'm saying. I had always thought it was possible. Even the Hydra scientist had hoped it would happen." She buried her face into her hands while the room grew quiet.**

 **"** **Did you see it Stark?" Clint addressed the billionaire, wondering if he had seen what Skylar had.**

 **"** **No. I didn't see shit expect her throwing some electricity into an invisible wall. An invisible wall that screamed. I think I need to stop drinking for a while." He muttered the last part more to himself as he collapsed into his recliner.**

 **"** **But you saw it Sky? This 'shadow being'." Tasha turned and addressed the woman silently sitting beside her.**

 **"** **I felt it first and knew what it was immediately. It was the same feeling I got every time I was in that dimension. Death. Fear. Panic."**

* * *

After confessing what had happened, Tony secluded himself in his lab with Bruce, both scientist and genius burying themselves in their work, attempting to find a way to track what was now haunting Skylar's every move.

"I want to control it. Control it enough to protect myself and everyone around me." She whispered under her breath, her eyes seeking out the sun shining in through the balcony.

She hated her abilities but if she could somehow learn to control it, enough to use it to protect those she loves, than she'd suck up her pride and do it for them.

Anything for them.

"Wanda. Vi. Would you help me?"

* * *

 **So, that's it. Lol My mind wasn't working to my liking this week. Too many things going on. Family in from out of town so haven't been home for a few days. But, nonetheless, got this out to all you lovely subscribers and ghost followers.**

 **Hope you like it.**

 **Until next week~**


	23. Chapter 23

**Updated on time! Whoo!**

 **Short one again thanks to the mild writers block that was so graciously bestowed upon me during the week. Not sure where the story was going for a minute but if anyone has any suggestions on what should happen next or what they would like to see happen next, PM me. I'd love to hear from you all!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Marvel**

* * *

Wanda and VI did as much as they could to assist Skylar in her attempt to control her travels to the other dimension. Though Clint, Steve and Tony were strictly against it, she made sure to point out that even after her first encounter with the beings in the real world that she had run across them many more times after. At the sudden confession, Steve tensed up in shock and horror, having not heard any of it before.

"Why..Why didn't you tell us?" Steve whispered defensively, his eyes wavering on her own.

"Because…you all have enough to worry without all my problems. I didn't want to add to it." She whispered back, having known Steve would be angry once he found out she was dealing with things without telling either of them.

Steve had stormed out of the room not long after that, not being able to control his temper or emotions as he disappeared into the elevator and out of sight. She sighed, hanging her head in despair before feeling a hand massage her shoulder. She looked over in surprise to see her cousin standing beside her.

"Someone's gonna need to check in on Cap. We volunteer you kid." Tony commented, a bit of mirth in his eyes as he met her hazel orbs.

She snorted, smiling softly before elbowing him lightly in his stomach.

"How brave of you." She muttered, smiling awkwardly at Clint's emotionless face before heading in the same direction as her love.

"You've been assisting her, without telling anyone." Clint immediately spoke once the elevator doors shut Skylar off from the conversation. The room grew quiet as the woman he had been ignorantly addressing, glanced around at the various eyes now on her form.

"Before we start putting the blame on me, I only did what she asked." Wanda's heavy accent carried through the room as Natasha sighed, pulling herself onto the bar stool just beside her.

"Do you understand how dangerous this is for her? Meddling with something you both have no knowledge in." Natasha's stern voice added as Wanda glanced over at the woman before turning to the AI standing stalk still beside her.

"What you all do not understand is the emotional and physical pain Skylar goes through on a daily basis, not knowing how to control her abilities." Wanda added back with an equal amount of seriousness.

"Yeah, cause 'using' said abilities does nothing but put a smile on her face." Tony muttered sarcastically as he rolled his eyes, crossing his arms as he leaned against the island counter top.

Wanda scoffed at the attention she was getting and crossed her arms back, letting the group know she was in no blame.

"Skylar has been suffering, if you all have not noticed. She has been given abilities that she has no knowledge on how to use or contain. Yes, I know, she does not appreciate or want any acknowledgement of them, but she needed someone that would stand beside her and help without crowding her like you all have been doing. She doesn't need people crowding her and flaunting all over her like a wounded child. You all know that Skylar is not the type of person that enjoys that sort of attention. Yes, I know the pain and anguish she went through, I've been there, none of you have. I have much more in common with her than any of you. All I did was be there for her and listen. She wanted my help, who am I to tell her no. She wants to learn how to control them, to protect you all. It was her choice, not yours." Wanda finished, turning from the group, grabbing the AI's arm in a silent plead to follow her as she did, the pair exiting the room.

"Well….wow. I suddenly feel a lot smaller than I usually do." Tony laughed awkwardly before circling the counter to his bar.

* * *

Skylar silently exited the elevator on the only floor she figured Steve would hide in. His old floor. After she had been retrieved back from Hydra, he had moved upstairs to be closer to her, which she appreciated greatly. She glanced around the 'blast from the past' living room that fit Steve's persona to a T and chuckled. Skylar remembered all the grief she had given him about said furniture and decoration. It made her feel like she was stepping foot into her grandparents' home all over again. She grinned at the memory of teasing America's Golden Boy before her attention was stolen from the curtains of the balcony door, blowing in the wind.

Skylar quietly made her way towards the door, peeking out through the white curtains to see the man of her heart standing alone against the railing, his eyes searching the view of skyscrapers.

"Stop hiding." His voice startled her for a moment as she had been planning on a way to alert him to her presence. Looks like he beat her to the chase. Clearing her throat, she pushed the curtains aside and stepped out into the sunlight, her skin immediately tingling at the warm sensation. How much she missed being out in the sun?

"Are you alright?" His voice asked once more as she pulled her attention from her bare arms to his form standing still against the railing. Sighing at his show of ignoring her form, she approached him from behind and suddenly wrapped her arms around his small yet muscular waist.

Steve stiffened in surprise as he felt her familiar arms wrap around his waist before her breath blew through his shirt between his shoulder blades. Glancing down with a light red tint to his cheeks, he stared at her frail fingers for a moment before his hands naturally reached down, pulling them apart so he could kiss each fingertip.

"I'm fine. Just needed some air." He whispered, shutting his eyes as he leaned his head down to hold her warm palms to his cheeks. He just needed this small reminder that she was indeed still here.

Having pinpointed the lie, she pulled her hands from his, startling the soldier again as she turned him, with a struggle, before holding her hands to his face as she stared deep in his baby blues.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you. I didn't want to add to the stress you already have festering over you." She whispered, her heart splintering a bit at the hurt furrow of his brows.

"But I'm fine. Look. See. Still standing." She passed him a smile, hoping to see the same from him but instead she received a shake of his head, his eyes shutting while his hands sought out her own on his cheeks.

"For now." He whispered, pulling her hands from his face but never pulling his hands from her own.

"What's going to happen if one of those things get you and none of us are around to help?" His voice got a bit louder as the emotions began to boil through him at the thought. He understood her frame of mind but that didn't mean he agreed with her choice.

She stared up at the raw emotion staring back at her and felt her heart crumble piece by piece. How many times had she told herself that she would do anything possible to never see that look on his face? Yet, there it was like it seemed to always be now that she was back in his life. She was hurting it without even realizing that she was. Skylar bit her bottom lip, gazing down at their feet that were barely touching.

"I want to protect you all….from the things haunting me. You can't see them, feel them, hear them, only I can. If I don't do something about them, they will hurt you all. They will hurt you." She whispered the last part, lifting her tear filled eyes to meet his. Steve's heart clenched at the look of absolute despair shining back at him and quickly pulled the smaller woman into his arms.

Skylar buried herself into his strong chest, her hands clenching at his shirt, not wanting to let go. When was the last time they were so close? When was the last time he had a chance to hold her this close? With everything going on in their life, for the life of herself, Skylar couldn't remember.

* * *

They left the conversation with that and silently moved on, not having the will or strength to refuse each other of anything.

Now, today, today was the start of something new. After Skylar had confessed to every one of her silent training with Wanda, Tony and Steve made it abundantly clear that no further training would happen without everyone else present. You could never be too careful, as Tony put it. Though Skylar could say the same about said man.

"Alright kid, now this is how it's gonna go. This is the same training regime we put Witchy Poo over there, through. Let's start with the basics." Tony's words echoed through the loud speakers of the large training facility built in the basement of Stark Tower. Skylar fought the smile at her newest friend's nickname and glanced over to gauge the woman's reaction only to see the emotionless mask staring back at her. Good form. Don't show Tony he's won. Skylar was finding herself liking Wanda, more and more every day.

Wanda finally rolled her eyes and nudged her head in the direction of the various weighted concrete blocks sitting perfectly in a row about halfway across the large warehouse sized room. From left to the right, it started off small, as big as a shoe box before getting gradually bigger as it went down. She stared in surprise at the large block of concrete at the very end that looked to be the size of a shipping container.

"Wow. Thorough isn't he?" She muttered more to herself as she glanced up at the window that housed her friends.

"So what do you want me to do?" She called out as Tony leaned forward, a buzzing noise echoing briefly before his voice echoed once more through the room.

"This is our proposition if you insist on attempting to control you're…abilities. We sit here, watch you and if anything goes wrong, we intervene." Tony explained as she smiled softly and nodded impatiently.

"I got that bit Tony. I meant with the blocks, am I supposed to stack them or build a house?" She teased as she nudged her head in the direction of the blocks. Tony glared down at her, though she could easily see it while Tasha pushed him aside and spoke.

"As Wanda does, you start at the smallest block and toss it as far towards the opposite wall as you can. It'll test how far you're able to project it."

She had impressed the group as she was able to get down to the last block and throw it a few feet from its original position. By then, she was panting out of breath and suddenly very exhausted with the day's work.

"We'll stop there for today kid. If I let you go any further, you're golden boy is going to hang me by my goatee." Tony's voice broke her from her concentration as she fell over, plopping down on the ground with a loud huff.

"Good job Sky." Wanda placed a supporting hand on her shoulder before disappearing out of the room.

"Rogers isn't handling this all that well." A female voice that she immediately recognized caught her attention as she turned to look over her shoulder at the approaching red head. She sighed, turning back to face the wall of blocks.

"He doesn't handle anything that has to do with me, well." She answered as Tasha stopped just beside her. The red hair nodded in agreement, slipping her hands into her pockets.

"Well, can you blame him? You used to react the same way to him." Tasha pointed out a part of the couples past that caused Skylar's heart to swell at the memory.

"I still react that way, he just hasn't left my side since I returned. Doesn't give me much to worry about aside from the ever growing bags under his eyes. Can super soldiers die from exhaustion?" She had unconsciously muttered the last part, not even realizing what she had said before she felt a kick to her side. She yelped in pain, falling over onto her side while holding her hip. Glaring openly at the woman now standing seriously in front of her.

"OW! What the hell was that for?!" Skylar screeched, taking in deep breath after deep breath, not wanting her anger to get the best of her with one of her closest friends standing before her.

"Do you hear yourself, Sky? You understand why Cap is exhausted right? Because of you. He's worried about you, at all hours of the day, like the rest of us and more. He hasn't been on a mission in weeks since we got you out. I'm not blaming you for any of this but for once, stopping thinking about yourself and think about him. You were missing for months. Steve was on the brink of his sanity. We weren't sure he'd even return to being Captain America after the torture he went through. I understand your situation Sky, I really do, but you gotta give the man a break before he breaks. Spend some time with him, without the group. Some alone time. He needs it and you do too." Tasha's face softened as she continued to scold Skylar before ending with a soft smile.

"He won't want to leave the tower, not yet." Skylar sighed, slightly hurt yet understanding of a few things Tasha had said to her.

"Yeah, but that hasn't stopped you before." Tasha challenging teasingly causing Skylar to snort and glance up at her amused.

"That was back when Hydra wasn't searching for me. I don't think right now is a good idea." Skylar sighed out in defeat, wanting nothing more than to leave the tower just for a few minutes.

"Someone's always searching for us, that hasn't ever changed. But we haven't got any sight on Hydra even being in New York. No activity at all. I think it'll be fine to leave for a few hours." Tasha ruffled her hair playfully as Skylar's hand shot up, swatting her hand away with a loud whine.

"First you kick me and now you're messing with my hair. Seriously, what's gotten into you today?" Skylar grumbled as she pulled herself from the ground to fix her hair. Tasha smirked as she turned on her heels to face the exit door.

"I've missed messing with you is all." Tasha teased with a smile causing Skylar to smile back.

"I'll set up something for the two of you tonight with Tony knowing. Be ready in an hour." Tasha winked over her shoulder before disappearing through the pair of metal doors at the back of the room.

Knowing her friend was completely right with her accusation, Skylar forced herself from the ground, groaning at the exhausted feeling that shot through her form from her use of her mental abilities. Wanda did warn her that over exerting her mental abilities could come back to bite her in the butt, and oh was it biting back hard. She sighed in relief once she was standing on two feet and massaged her forehead, silently willing the migraine away. Didn't take long for her to push that dream out of her head before she finally made her exit and towards the nearest elevator. Headache aside, she knew Natasha was right. Well, when was that woman ever wrong to begin with? Skylar couldn't pinpoint any memory of that.

But nonetheless, as always, the red hair was right. When was the last time she had made any time for him? Her memories were still in the blender but she knew, before all the mess with Hydra went down, she knew times had been different. She remembered spending every free minute with him, never wanting to be free of him. She was addicted to his presence and knew that she couldn't go a day without at least speaking to him.

But why had that changed? When had she become so selfish? When had she pushed him aside in favor of dealing with her own issues? Sure, her problems now were priority to everyone on the team but in her heart, Steve should have been the first priority. She couldn't imagine what the man had gone through while she was gone. She couldn't. She didn't want to think about it. She could just imagine how she would have fared if it had been Steve instead of her. Skylar would never be the same, she knew that much. Yet Steve pushed aside his own emotions and problems for her. He spent every moment of the day either at her side, worried sick that she would somehow fall into her amnesia induced sleep again or that Hydra would pop up and try to take her back. And when he wasn't with her, which was rarely, you could find him with someone of the team, planning out and searching for any Hydra agents still crawling around.

It was obvious that he had a mission to destroy any Hydra agent stupid enough to surface on the radar.

Skylar shook her head as she stepped into the elevator, the shiny doors silently shutting.

"Which floor Ms. Stark?" Friday's voice interrupted her train of thought causing her to glance up at the screen of numbers playing in the top corner of the tin room.

"Friday. What floor did Natasha go to?" She asked hesitantly, knowing said woman would hold to her word without her own permission or agreement.

"Ms. Romanoff is now with Captain Rogers." Friday answered as Skylar sighed, nodding her head.

She could do this. When was the last time the pair went on a date? Almost a year ago. Wow.

She could do this for her. For him. Definitely for him.

"My private floor, please Friday." She leaned up against the furthest wall, her mind slowly swimming.

How was Natasha planning on getting Steve to join her for a night out on the town? Was this even a good idea?

She sighed, louder than she had planned and pushed off the opposite wall as the elevator door opened on her floor.

She would put her worry and fears aside to put sometime on the table for the man she loved. She could do it. She could suck up her fear and give Steve a night, just the two of them.

She could and she would.

For him.

* * *

 **A little slow this update. Halfway through, I got some mild writers block. Didn't know where I was going with everything or what to do. Still don't lol but I'm getting there. Thank you for being so patient with me. In the end, decided on some small Steve and Skylar growth, that a lot of you have been nagging me for lmao hope it's alright.**


	24. Chapter 24

**A bit of fun in this chapter. A break from all the seriousness.**

 **Enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Marvel!**

* * *

"Ms. Stark. Ms. Romanoff has passed on a message for me to inform you to dress up for the night." Friday's voice rang through her room, startling her as she had been standing in front of her closest for the last 10 minutes, staring into space.

"Friday. What would you consider 'dress up for the night' to be? A dress? Slacks and a blouse?" She then inquired with a roll of her eyes as she finally stepped into her closet, digging through her clothes.

"Ms. Romanoff mentioned that you would ask such a question and told me to further inform you that you should wear the dark red wrap dress." Friday answered as she pulled away from her clothes, blinking in confusion. Did she have a dark dress that she forgot about? One that she bought before all the mess that she forgot about? No. She would remember, right?

"Dark dress?" She asked up to the ceiling in question.

"Yes. Ms. Romanoff took the opportunity to order and deliver various outfits into your closet while you have been ill, Ms. Stark." Friday explain sending Skylar scoffing at the news. She should have guessed. It was Natasha after all. It would not be the first time said woman did something like that, seeing as Skylar hated the idea of shopping when it wasn't absolutely necessary, which only fed Natasha the need to spoil her friend with over the top outfits that she would never dawn in her entire life.

"Typical." She scoffed under her breath as she turned to the other side of the closet, where Tasha usually left her gifts, to indeed find dress bags hanging in a line down the shelf. Skylar placed her hands on her hips and let out a puff of air, both in hesitation and worry.

"Friday, I'm a little afraid to see what is in these bags." She spoke, running a hand through her hair in frustration.

"Do not fret, Ms. Stark. It is not as bad as you think." Friday answered causing Skylar to momentarily glare up at the ceiling.

"You're an AI, you wouldn't understand." She corrected the ceiling, before looking back to the bags, hesitant to reach out till she noticed a note pinned to one in particular.

"Typical Tasha. Stuff like this makes people think we swing for each other." She muttered, pulling the folded paper off the hanger before unfolding it.

 _I know you hate shopping so I took the opportunity and did it myself. You can thank me later, along with Cap. I know he'll love to see you in these._

 _Don't kill the man. Remember his age. Lol_

 _Love,_

 _Tash_

She quickly crumpled the paper while muttering curses under her breath before tossing the ball to the ground, stomping on it repeatedly.

"What did that piece of paper ever do to you?" A voice startled her from behind, her hands shooting out unconsciously, knocking the dresser near the door, over onto its side and into the doorway where her cousin was now darting out of the way of flying furniture. Her eyes widened in realization to what she just did before she ran out, pushing the dresser enough to the side to allow her room out.

"Tony! Oh my god, I didn't hurt you did I?! What the hell is wrong with you?! Are you okay?! You can't sneak up on me like that!" She screeched back and forth as she darted out of the closet to see her cousin relaxing against wall with an amused perk of his brow.

"I knocked. Several hundred time so I don't think you could consider this as me sneaking in. You were so absorbed in your clothes, you didn't hear me?" He asked playfully as she quickly dropped her hands and snorted.

"Why do I even bother apologizing to your good for nothing ass?!" She spat irritated before disappearing once more into her closet, forcing herself to grab the dress that the note had been attached to just earlier.

"Oh! Come on kid! You know I'm kidding. Ow." Tony followed closely after her as she emerged from the closet before he was met with a face full of the bathroom door.

"Jesus kid. My face is worth millions." Tony grumbled as he rubbed his nose, turning back to the room.

"Yeah the millions you had to spend to fix it." Her voice called from the other side of the door causing him to grin. So like his little cousin.

"So…..what's got your panties in a twist now?" Tony's teasing voice carried through the bathroom door as she silently flipped him off through the door before zipping the back of the dress up as best as she could.

"Tony, isn't there someone else around for you to bug? I'd like to enjoy my peace for the night." She moaned back, growing more and more irritated as she stared at herself in her vanity mirror.

"And miss my chance to irritate you? No…I quite enjoy doing it. It's just like old times." Tony commented, meaning to tease his cousin though the last comment had struck a cord in both of them. They both hadn't had the chance to converse, alone, since she had arrived back from Hydra. Tony had tons he wanted to ask yet he didn't know how to ask without being completely blunt about it.

Skylar sighed, feeling the slight guilt build in her stomach at his comment, knowing that, though their relationship had started off rocky, before Hydra happened, they had been closer than ever. But now, now, things were fading, she could feel it.

Placing her hands on the counter of the sink, she hung her head, shutting her eyes, practically feeling the awkward air between them, grow.

"What is it you want to ask me Tony? Spit it out." She pushed, knowing that it was uncharacteristic for Tony to be this quiet or still for that matter.

Tony couldn't stop the small twitch of his lips as they lifted into a tiny grin.

His cousin knew him too well.

"Are you okay? Like really okay." Tony had slowly turned to face the bathroom door, his fingers fidgeting into his pants pocket.

This was even more uncharacteristic of him, but he couldn't help it. He needed to know.

"As okay as I'll ever be." She answered back, lifting her head to stare back at her reflection.

"What…Did he say anything to you when you saw him?" Skylar had been waiting, since she spilled the beans about meeting their uncle in the other dimension, for Tony to ask about what had happened. It really wasn't something she could share with anyone else but him, so she waited. Waited for him to be okay with approaching her on the subject.

Seems like today was the day.

"Have you known him not to say anything when given the opportunity?" She laughed forcefully while Tony gripped his hands into fists at the thought.

"Did he do something to you Sky?" Tony wasn't sure if it was possible to get physical with someone in the other dimension, but seeing as she had returned with a physical injury, it was possible.

Skylar turned to the closed door and smiled at her cousin's concern easily felt through the door.

"No Tony, he didn't. He tried to scare me and shake me up, but I would not give him the chance to enjoy something like that." She swallowed back the lie she had fed her cousin and turned to quickly busy herself with brushing her hair.

"You're not lying to me, Sky, right? You were always too good at lying." She knew he was trying to lighten the mood and chuckled.

"Would you believe me if I said no?" She quirked her brow, though she knew he couldn't see her.

Tony smirked at his cousins words and sighed out loudly.

"Fix that dresser, would ya? It cost me a fortune." Tony commanded, though it was half-assed.

"Yes ma'am." She called back as she heard him snort before he left her room.

* * *

"Alright, what is this all about? You know I won't leave the Tower with Sky here." Cap stared suspiciously at the assassin adjusting his collar.

"Just trust me on this, hold still…geez, it's like dressing a child." Natasha scolded as she yanked on his collar a bit harder, buttoning the last button before pulling his black leather jacket on.

"Romanoff, I'm serious." Cap quickly grabbed her wrists, stopping her from continuing in her plans as said woman sighed, looking up at him frustrated.

"And I'm serious. When have I ever steered you wrong?" She pried her wrists from his grasp before taking a step out of his personal space.

"A lot, actually." Steve quickly answered as she crossed her arms and snorted.

"And if I told you this had something to do with Sky, would you listen then?" She arched a brow at him in a silent challenge, noticing the visible way he twitched at the simple mention of the woman he loved.

"What about Sky? Is she alright? What happened?" He quickly shot out question after question, his heart thumping loudly in his chest at the thought of something bad having happened while she was out of his reach.

Tasha smiled softly at his concern and shook her head.

"She's fine, that's not what I meant by that. Just…trust me on this, okay?" Natasha looked at him seriously while Cap stared down at the woman before him.

She was up to something, he knew that much, but what? He couldn't figure out what, which only made him that much more nervous.

* * *

"Ms. Stark. Ms. Romanoff has informed me to meet both her and the Captain in Mr. Stark's parking garage." Friday's voice pulled her from her thoughts as she pulled the eyeliner pencil from her lid.

"The parking garage? Is she planning on swiping one of Tony's cars again?" She spoke out loud to herself as she stood from her seat to retrieve a coat from her closet.

"Has Ms. Romanoff been known to do anything else in sirs parking garage, Ms. Stark?" Friday has surprised her with her sudden comment and barked in laughter, looking up at the ceiling.

"No. No she hasn't Friday. Thanks." She answered back with a smile, feeling just a bit lighter at the small jab that Friday had unconsciously made.

"Of course Ms. Stark."

* * *

"So….are you going to tell me why I'm dressed up and in Stark's parking garage?" Steve shoved his hands into his pockets as they stepped out into the open area filled to the brim with all of Tony's car collection. Natasha snickered from beside him and plopped down on one of the love seats Tony had set up around the room.

"You'll see, sooner or later." She shrugged innocently, having already made plans for the pair for the night along with informed the team, all aside from Tony, knowing that he would have thrown a fit.

Before Steve could interrogate Tasha for more information on the strange way she was acting, the ' _ding'_ from the elevator they had just stepped off, echoed through the room, catching the pairs attention. Natasha's smile grew wider as she sat up straighter, her eyes shooting back and forth between the confused super soldier and the tin doors that had yet to open.

"Who…" Steve started before the doors slowly slid open, showing Skylar dressed from head to toe in pure perfection.

Steve's jaw dropped, his eyes widening as they raked up her form slowly before meeting her hazel eyes.

Skylar hadn't expected to run into him so quickly, but the moment she had lifted her eyes from her shoes, she blushed brightly when she noticed the look he was giving her before glancing away bashfully.

"Well, look who decided to show up." Natasha perked up playfully as she pushed herself from the couch and over into her direction. Skylar snorted, choosing to ignore the blush growing at the eyes glued to her form and finally emerged from the elevator and into the parking garage.

"It does take time to change, you know." Skylar sassed back, curling a stray hair behind her ear before hesitantly looking in Steve's direction.

When was the last time she had seen him dressed up? He was handsome as always. Just as dashing and charming as she knew he was. She smiled softly at the confused yet breathless way he stared at her.

"Well, now that you are here, I'll take my leave. Here's the keys to the black porche, there in the corner. I have your GPS set up for the night, so don't ask questions and just follow it. Have fun!" She patted Skylar on the shoulder as she tossed Steve the car keys and quickly disappeared into the awaiting elevator before anyone could complain.

Skylar spun on her heels, the trench coat she was wearing, spun with the moment.

"Typical." She muttered, licking her red lips before hesitantly turning her attention to the man still standing quietly a few feet away.

From the looks of things, Tasha hadn't told him the plans. Oh, how much she wanted to strangle her right now.

"I'm guessing Tash didn't tell you anything about tonight?" She then asked embarrassed as Steve blinked his eyes away from staring at her and met her eyes again.

"She threw these clothes on me and dragged me down here. You….you look beautiful, by the way." He explained before complimenting her immediately. She glanced down at herself, fighting the blush that was taking form down her neck and chuckled.

"Thank you. You look handsome, as always." She complimented him back as he cleared his throat awkwardly, adjusting his collar.

"So, what are we doing?" he then asked, a clear blush on his pale complexion. She grinned at the effect she had on him and chewed on her lip.

"Natasha pointed out that we haven't had a chance for each other since HYDRA, which I agree. I've been neglecting you, Steve." She finally approached him, stopping just inches from his chest while gazing up at him.

"You haven't neglected me, Sky. You never have. We just have been busy with our plates full." He slowly reached a hand out, resting on her waist, pulling her even closer to him.

"But I have. Mentally, I've been fine, even physically, yet I haven't spent any time with you and I hate it." She whispered, her eyes growing glassy as she stared up at his furrowed brows. Steve sighed, reaching a hand up to caress her cheek gently.

"We can't leave the Tower just yet. I won't chance HYDRA finding you again. I can't." He whispered this time, his eyes showing the concern and worry he had at the thought.

"Natasha already did a sweep of the city and surrounding cities also. She even stole one of Tony's portable FRIDAYS incase something happens, which it won't." She explained, showing off the watch on her wrist that Natasha had slipped into her room at some point during the afternoon. Steve stared down at the device in hesitation before meeting her eyes once more. She could easily point out the fight he was having within.

"Sky….we shouldn't…." He began as she reached a hand up, placing her pointer finger on his parted lips.

"Please. Steve. For me. Just this once. I need to get outside and I won't do that without you." She begged him desperately, knowing that it was a low blow to stoop this low in order to convince him to go outside though a big part of her didn't want to go out either.

She was scared of the outside world. Scared of the people in it.

But Steve. He was a big part of her life, whether either of them realized that, she didn't know.

She wanted this with him. She wanted to spend the night with him. Just the two of them without the pressure of the rest of the team breathing down her neck like she was a ticking time bomb. Though, she wouldn't blame them. She couldn't because she was a ticking time bomb. Set to go off at any minute.

She needed this night with him, even if it was just for a few minutes, she'd be fine with that.

Steve stared down at her silently, the gears in his mind working into overdrive. He didn't have the heart to tell her no, especially with the way she was looking up at him. But, he couldn't chance the thought of HYDRA finding them outside, without any sort of protection. He wouldn't go through that again. He couldn't. But, some part of her words, had hit him hard.

When was the last time they had gone out?

When was the last time they had a chance to themselves, just the two of them?

He knew the answer to those questions.

A long time.

Before HYDRA happened.

Shutting his eyes, he sighed, his hand dropping from her face to her waist. He silently pulled her flush against his form, wrapping his arms around her small waist before burying his face into the bend of her neck, taking in her scent.

Skylar hadn't been surprised by the way he had reacted to her words. She had expected as much and felt her heart twist at the way he held her like his life depended on it.

"I'm sorry. We don't have to go….." She began to whisper, now feeling completely terrible for attempting to guilt trip him into agreeing to go out.

"You have nothing to apologize for. You are completely right." Steve whispered into her neck, lightly pecking it before pulling away to brush a lock of her platinum hair behind her ear.

She quickly met his eyes as he pulled his face from her neck, her hands gripping the front of her dress shirt.

"I'm right?" She whispered, unsure what he was getting at while he nodded, lifting a hand once again to brush her cheek.

"We haven't had a chance to ourselves and one thing I do not want you feeling is neglect, from anyone especially me." He whispered, leaning down to quickly peck her lips which she immediately melted into. She was far from feeling like she was the one being neglected, if anything, Steve was the neglected one out of the pair.

"But we go out with a few conditions." He pulled away slightly, ghosting his lips over hers as he spoke. Skylar swallowed down the whine of frustration when she couldn't reach his lips anymore and instead brought her attention to his eyes.

"One. We don't go any further than a mile from the tower. I don't care where Natasha had planned for us to go." He sternly explained as Skylar quickly stole a kiss from him, nodding in agreement.

"Two. If you feel, even the least bit uncomfortable anywhere or you think someone is being suspicious, you tell me and we come back immediately. You understand?" He broke his hand to her chin, lifting her face to meet his.

"And lastly, we're not staying out long. An hour at the longest. Is that alright?" He took on his usual Cap voice which embarrassingly did things to her body when it was only directed at her. She shook the shameful thought from her mind and nodded.

"Yes. That's fine with me." She answered in a low voice, watching as a pleased smile crossed his features before he pushed his lips back against hers, almost hungrily. It had been some time since they had the chance to be physically affectionate, but she wasn't complaining in the least bit right now. Steve wasn't like her past relationships, no. He was something fresh and new to her. They only ever went as far as kissing, maybe a touch here and there but nothing inappropriate seeing as Steve was the gentlemanly type and had been raised by parents who believed marriage before any sexual intercourse was best. Sure, she had times that all she had wanted to do was jump him the moment she got him alone and rip his clothes to shreds, but she had promised him, long ago that they would wait to the right time. Whether it be marriage or just a time they both felt like it was right, she would wait for him, no matter how painful it was.

Pulling away from each other's lips, out of breath and panting, she couldn't stop the chuckle that escaped her throat as she noticed her red lipstick was now smeared across his lips.

"You destroyed my lipstick." She teased, reaching her thumb up to clean the smear as best she could before she lifted her eyes to meet his. She felt the air leave her lungs as she noticed the look in his eyes, a look she hadn't seen often but could easily pinpoint.

Pupils blown almost completely black with a hungry look between them.

Oh dear god.

She unconsciously curled her knees together before he seemed to blink the haze away, clearing his throat embarrassed.

"Which car were we taking?"

Thank god he had changed the subject or she would have jumped across the small space between them.

* * *

 **So yes, a bit of a hint to things to come. If you hadn't read my previous chapter a few weeks ago, the pair haven't done the deed yet lol I figured, Steve is really old school and would probably stick to that. But, I do plan on it happening, don't worry.**

 **Hope you enjoyed the update!**

 **Until next week~**


	25. Chapter 25

**Updated a few hours earlier than normal. Figured I'd get it out late Saturday night while everyone is still asleep, that way it would technically be up for you to read on Sunday lol.**

 **Hope you enjoy! And like I promised, a more lighter side of SkyxStevie.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Marvel or any of its characters or plots. Just my OC character, Skylar and my random mess of creative plots lol .**

* * *

The moment their back ends hit the leather of Tony's black Porsche, it grew quiet, awkwardly quiet. It was like their first date all over again as Steve carefully pulled the brand new car onto the road from Stark Tower and into traffic.

"Where has Romanoff sent us to?" Steve's voice breeched the silence brewing in the car. Skylar's head whipped in his direction in surprise, hadn't been expecting his voice so soon after leaving the tower.

"Let me see. Actually. I'm a bit scared to know." She leaned forward with a forced chuckle as she clicked into the cars GPS, a location quickly bleeping to life just around the block from Stark Tower, surprisingly.

"Um. It's just around the block." Skylar blinked in confusion, clicking on the blinking blimp in attempt to figure out what the place was, only for the car to fight back against her, denying any access to that information.

"Evil technology." She hissed, wanting to punch the screen in annoyance while Steve snickered quietly from beside her.

"Even with your ability over technology, still can't get it down?" Steve poked fun as she simply snorted, turning to look at him with narrowed eyes.

"Says the man that still doesn't know how to work a microwave." She muttered back in retaliation, a proud grin growing as she noticed the way he flushed slightly.

"Hey! That's not fair! That was once!" Steve called back, signaling quickly to catch the next left turn while Skylar broke out laughing.

Her laugh.

He had missed it so much that he couldn't stay mad or upset at her for long and broke out laughing along with her.

"That 'once' everyone will remember for the rest of their lives, Stevie." She poked at his side teasingly, watching amused as he yelped at the ticklish sensation, his body flinching into the opposite direction and away from her awaiting finger.

"Honestly. It is the same concept as putting a fork into an outlet. You can't put metal into microwaves. They'll go _boom."_ She made hand gestures at the word _boom_ before Steve's hand shot out, gripping the top of her knee sending her folding over in her seat, laughing loudly while trying to whack his hand away.

"Steve! Stop! I'm gonna pee my pants!" Tears were beginning to form in her eyes as she continued to laugh, her grip on his hand not going unnoticed by the super soldier who was enjoying the upper hand he had on her.

"Say it. You know what you have to say." He smiled, watching as her smile lit up her face, reaching her ears.

"No! Never!" She screeched before she began to spin in her seat, spin as best as her seatbelt would allow.

"That's unfortunate." Steve announced with mock seriousness as he began to drop his hand further down to her actual knee where she let out a high pitch squeal at the overly ticklish sensation.

"Alright! Alright! You're right! You win! The 40's rule!" She said between each breath she could suck in before Steve's hand pulled away finally, a proud smile on her face.

Skylar was a mess, barely even in her seat anymore as half her form was now forced under the dashboard in front of her. Pushing her fallen hair from her face, she pushed herself back onto her seat, adjusting the dress she was wearing.

"Brat." She mouthed as Steve continued to grin proudly before confusion took over as he leaned closer to the windshield.

 _You have arrived at your destination._

Friday's voice spoke from the GPS as Skylar soon sat forward, gazing back and forth across the road to see where they were. One on side held a closed realty office along with a hair salon that was still in the works of shutting for the evening, while the other side stood an old-fashioned diner with what seemed to be a dance hall blazing to life beside it.

"This place is still here?" Steve spoke softly in surprise from beside her as she quickly glanced over at him.

"You know this place? I've never seen it before." Skylar answered as she watched as they pulled into the parking lot beside the obvious dance hall. Steve took the nearest parking stall before shutting the car off as he sat back, a look of wonder still on his face.

"Bucky used to bring the dames here frequently back in the 40s. I never had the opportunity to bring a dame here." Steve's voice got softer and softer the further into his words went attracting her eyes once more.

"You are tonight." She commented as a small smile grew on her face at the look he quickly passed her. He looked like a fat kid in a candy store in that very moment.

"But you don't dance." He suddenly added, the excited smile from seconds ago quickly melting into realization and mild disappointment. Skylar's heart thump painfully in her chest at the dejected look that instantly crossed his face at the realization before she reached over to hold his hand.

"Let's see, hm?" She offered staring directly into his eyes as he continued to look down at her in hesitation.

"We don't have to….we can…." Steve began to offer a different option before Skylar leaned across the middle console of the small car, pressing her lips against his own to stop his words.

"We're going dancing. No if ands or buts." She whispered against his lips, her orbs lifting to meet his surprised ones.

"Are you sure?" Steve whispered, his lips brushing against hers as he spoke. Her eyes glanced down to his lips as they moved before she pulled back enough to give them some space.

"Well, I can go dance by myself. I'm sure there is a gentleman in there that wouldn't mind dancing alongside a dame with 2 left feet." She arched a brow teasingly as she pushed open her door and climbed out before he realized what she had said. Red hot anger and jealousy flared through his form at the thought of another man, old or young, touching her to dance before he was out of the car and beside her instantly. Pinning her gently to the outside wall of the dance hall, he stared down at her with a heated glanced, her own doe ones staring back at him in surprise.

"The only one you are allowed to dance with, is me." His husky voice tickled her insides as she unconsciously clawed at the wall behind her in order to stop herself from jumping his bones right there and then.

"Then what are we waiting for, soldier?" She couldn't admit it, but seeing him all riled up and jealous about her potentially dancing with someone his actual age, turned her on greatly. She chewed on her red lip, pecking his lips teasingly before ducking under his arm before he had a chance to reach out and stop her. Spinning, she began to walk backward, passing him a 'come hither' gesture before turning to approach the front of the building with her super soldier not far behind.

She was going to enjoy the night.

Hydra could go to hell for all she cared. She wasn't about to let what happened destroy something that she adored with all her heart.

Steve had clasped her hand tightly in his as soon as he reached her side before they slipped through the glass doors into the actual hall. According to Steve, a lot had changed. It would seem that the owners may have changed seeing as they had to renovate the entire place yet it still held it's 40s charm.

"It's adorable." She leaned into Steve to make sure he could hear her over the loud jazz music playing from the live band on stage.

They had repainted the place, new tables and chairs replacing the old creaky ones that used to litter the place, the bar was with the times but still held a bit of a 40s flare. All in all, Steve could easily pinpoint the small things that had held over the years, especially the music.

"Well, I'll be damned." An older voice suddenly said from beside them. Skylar's eyes shot over to the older man, her heart briefly having a lapse of panic before smiling as the man gazed up at Steve like a child seeing his life hero.

"You're Captain Steve Rogers. Captain America himself!" He bellowed loudly, holding his hand out excitedly as Steve chuckled, slightly uncomfortable from the attention he was now receiving. Hearing the man yell Steve's name, a few more elderly men hobbled over from various parts of the dance hall, each one of them gaping in astonishment and admiration while they shook Steve's hand and patted him on the shoulder with silent congratulations on the war.

Skylar patted his arm gently before letting go, stepping a few feet back to allow the men to oogle her boyfriend like he was super star. She couldn't stop herself from smiling in adoration as various men began sharing their war stories with her soldier. Steve glanced at her briefly, silently pleading for her to help as she giggled and shook her head, gesturing for him to enjoy the attention.

Who was she to cut off these men from meeting their hero?

Now if it was a hoard of girls that would be a different story.

"That's quite a nice man you got on your arm, dear." A voice startled her from her staring as she whipped around to see one of the older women now standing beside her, the same look of admiration playing across her wrinkled features. Skylar instantly broke into a smile before she turned to see Steve was now laughing at something one of the men had been explaining to him.

"He really is." Skylar answered naturally as the woman stepped up beside her.

"It has been some years since I last saw the Captain." Her withered voice caught Sky's attention as she glanced down at the shorter woman in curiosity.

"You knew Steve?" She inquired as the woman's frail lips broke into a grin.

"Honestly, who didn't? But no, I didn't know him personally. When he joined the ranks, I was a field nurse, stationed in the same location he showed up in when he arrived to pull the Howling Commandoes from their captors. All the nurses swooned over him and the other commandoes on a daily basis. Could you blame a dame?" She broke out chuckling as Skylar smiled, continuing to intently listen to her story.

"I had the honor of patching a few of his war buddies up. Unfortunately, never the Captain himself. He always seemed to heal a lot quicker than the other boys." She muttered the last part more to herself before shrugging it off.

"So you knew the Howling Commandoes?" She asked as the woman smiled and nodded.

"I knew a few, not all. Like I said, I patched up whoever was brought to me but I wasn't the only dame there. I do remember patching up the Sergeant a few times. He would show up with the most peculiar injuries." The woman teased as the air was sucked clean out of Skylar's lungs. She knew instantly who the woman was talking about.

"Ah, but like the Captain, the nurses loved James. He was such a charmer. Always had something to swoon the ladies with." She had gotten lost in her thoughts while Skylar's eyes looked around the room in a panic. Bucky. This woman knew Bucky.

"Doll, are you okay? Talk to me." Steve's voice shook her from her panic attack as she stared wide eyed up at him.

"Sky." Steve spoke again, wrapping an arm around her waist while the other hand held her cheek. Skylar blinked a few times, fighting to collect herself as she took a deep breath and nodded.

"Yeah. Sorry. Just got lost in my thoughts." She chuckled awkwardly before looking over to see that the woman had found herself beside one of the men Steve had been talking to.

"Are you sure? You looked like you saw a ghost." Steve whispered, checking her up and down from any signs of injury though he knew she wouldn't have any.

"Yeah. Let's go find a seat then you can tell me what you are your buddies back there were whispering about." Skylar had instantly changed the subject as she dragged him across the dancefloor to a free table sectioned off in the far right hand corner.

The pair had taken a seat and ordered a round of light drinks before Skylar began taping the beat of the music against the wooden table. Steve silently sat across from her, staring at her intently, trying to figure out what had happened.

"I can feel you staring at me." Skylar sighed, finally pulling her defeated eyes away from the band and to his.

"Well, I can't help it. Something happened that you won't tell me about. It's bothering me." Steve admitted bluntly, his brows furrowing in concern. She sighed for the hundredth time that night, hating the look of despair on his face before she looked away and down to her hands on the table top.

"That woman ran across you back in the 40s." She began, nudging her head towards the woman that was now dancing with the same man. Steve glanced back in surprise, his eyes scanning the woman's older features, wondering how she knew him.

"She was a field nurse." Skylar quickly explained seeing the confused look on his face.

"She told me all the female nurses swooned over you on a daily basis." She tried to lighten the mood, her brow arching as Steve stared at her like a child caught with his hand in the cookie jar. She chuckled at the innocent look before going back to chewing on her lip while she stared at her nails.

"She patched up a lot of the Howling Commandoes from time to time, even remembers Bucky." She added, feeling her heart thump loudly at just the name passing through her lips.

It grew quiet between the two of them as Steve tried to process her words, now remembering about Sky's unknown history with Bucky in Hydra.

"So, now are you going to tell me what you all were whispering about?" Skylar then perked up, leaning across the table with a smile, wanting desperately to see him smile back. It took some time as Steve just stared at her in a daze before a small twitch to the corner of his mouth caught her attention.

"They said you were the prettiest dame they had seen in a long time and fit beside me perfectly." Steve glanced away embarrassed now that he had said it to her face. Skylar blinked in surprise, having not expected that before she broke out laughing.

"So not what I was expecting, but I'll take it." She teased as the waitress from earlier arrived back, dropping their drinks off before disappearing to help another customer.

Once the mood was back on track, Steve hesitantly asked Skylar to dance, which she quickly agreed to. Having known her experience with dance, she had asked in a favor, months before her capture, for Natasha to help her learn. It wasn't easy, by far, but she had practiced and practiced desperately to learn in order to surprise him. Sure, she had planned on surprising him before, but when HYDRA happened and her mind was messed with, they just never had the chance to.

Steve led her onto the dancefloor as a slow number began to flow through the room. A few cat calls were thrown out as the group passed the same group of older men from earlier. Skylar chuckled, not finding it in herself to be upset and instead amused at their actions.

The smile on Steve's face hadn't left since they left their table. He held one of Skylar's hands and spun her out as they approached a free spot before pulling her back in and against her chest. To say Steve was surprised when Skylar didn't trip over her foot even once during their dance, was a clear understatement. Halfway through, he demanded an explanation which she explained through an embarrassed laugh.

"You learned to dance, for me?" Steve asked astonished as her eyes glanced away ashamed.

"I hated stumbling all over the dancefloor like a drunken person. It was embarrassing." She muttered with a cute pout, one Steve couldn't resist in kissing, which he did. When he pulled away, he smiled down at her lovingly, pulling her a bit closer.

"You were the first dame I ever danced with. We were both pretty inexperienced." He teased with a chuckle as she snorted.

"Inexperienced? You caught on so fast and I continued to look like a fish out of water. I couldn't stand it anymore so I dragged Tash with me to a dance studio and took lessons for months. I wanted to surprise you for your birthday but then….." Her eyes began to get glassy as she looked away, unable to finish her sentence. Steve's heart broke at her confession, seeing the inner struggle she was going through and knowing what she had been doing for him. He was having a hard time finding something that he didn't love about her.

Leaning forward, he pressed his lips to her forehead before pulling her head under his chin.

"It's alright doll. I'm surprised, more than surprised. Speechless that you would go out of your comfort zone to learn something for me. Even if it didn't happen when you had planned, I'm enjoying it now." He pulled away to grin down at her, watching as her round eyes gazed back up at him. Skylar's eyes flashed back and forth between his own before a small smile took resident on her features.

How could she not love this man?

* * *

 **Hope you guys enjoyed the update. Something a bit more uplifting for once with just a tiny dash of Bucky mention.**

 **Always looking forward to your reviews! They push me to update on time and a bit better every time. Love to hear your input and what you would like to read next. Believe me, I take everyone's suggestions to heart.**

 ***hint* review *hint***

 **Until next Sunday~**


	26. Chapter 26

**It's been a crazy week. 2 hurricanes with tons of rain and stress lol One was on the path of hitting us as a Category 3, luckily it took a northern turn and went in the opposite direction of us. Safe to say, we dodged another bullet. But thanks to that, I've been hella busy at work. It's been a nightmare as everyone was panicking.**

 **Anyways, this chapter is just as light as the last. A continuation of their cute date night.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Marvel or it's characters.**

* * *

The pair danced the night away, literally as Steve checked his watch to see that they had been out later than planned. But Skylar couldn't help but not find it in her to care. This was the most fun she had seen Steve have since she had returned home. She couldn't remember the last time she had seen him laugh so much as he did that night. Even through the night, they had found themselves surrounded by the same group of elderly men from earlier. Skylar sat through their stories with the largest smile she thought possible. She wasn't even sure if it was going to be possible to unscrew her smile once the night was done. She enjoyed talking with the group of men, finding out that some of them had served in the war at the same time as Steve, which made her realize, if Steve hadn't gone into the ice and had survived the war, he would probably be among this group of men.

It made her wonder how he would be if he hadn't gone through what he had gone through. What would he be doing with his life if he didn't have Captain America? There was no doubt in her mind, he would have been happily married to Peggy with possibly a few kids. As happy as the thought was, she couldn't fight off the pang of regret and jealousy that flooded her system at the thought.

"You are a lucky girl, honey." One of the women complimented as she pulled herself from her thoughts to peer over at the aged face of the woman sitting beside her.

"Very lucky. Many dames had pledged themselves to him back in the 40s. I'm a little embarrassed to admit I was one of them." Another one added as Skylar's head whipped over to see one of the other woman crooned in shame while Skylar stared at her in a daze, wondering what the woman had once looked like.

"But it's all fine and dandy now, we ladies found our men and so have you. How long have you been together, if it's alright of me to ask?" Skylar turned to another woman who intently leaned over the table to ask her the question. She couldn't help but clear her throat, having not expected to be razzed down by women 3 times her age about her relationship with Steve.

"Well, we've been together for a little over a year now." She admitted as the women around the table quietly squealed to each other.

"Is he as much of a gentleman as he was back in the 40s?" One of the women inquired as Skylar instantly smiled.

"Ah! That means he is. Awww, he hasn't changed at all!" The women all broke out squealing catching the attention of the other table of men that only stared over in confusion and suspicion while Skylar's eyes met Steve's deep ones. She smirked, winking in his direction, loving the reaction she got as she watched the obvious blush cross his features and down his neck. Turning away as one of the women patted her arm, the woman gestured for Skylar to come closer, wanting to ask something a bit more personal this time.

"I hope I'm not overstepping any boundaries and I hope you don't think any less of me, dear, but an old woman has to know, how good is he?" She then asked sending Skylar's ears burning with the heat of the 9th ring of hell. The woman didn't have to ask to what she was referring to and Sky instantly knew what she was talking about.

"Uh…well…" Skylar began to stumble over her words, unsure how to answer it without lashing out unintentionally.

"Gladis! You can't ask something like that! It's personal. Oh dear, you don't have to answer…." One of the other women quickly stepped in to scold the woman halfheartedly while Skylar looked surprised at the mild shout before completely composing with a laugh and shook her head.

"No, it's alright. It really is. We haven't….uh…this is a bit embarrassing but Steve's 'old school'." She tried to explain without completely throwing Steve to the lions. The woman blinked before looking around at each other in confusion before one woman gasped in realization, leaning forward with wide eyes.

"Are you saying that you both haven't…..you know." The woman instead gestured with her hand not wanting to bluntly mention the pair's sexual encounter.

Skylar briefly glanced at Steve to see that he was intently invested in whatever was being discussed before turning to the table of eager gossiping elderly women with a smile.

"No, we haven't. But I'm fine with that. He's worth the wait." All women at the table instantly let out a chorus of 'oohs' and 'aahs',

* * *

After hours of interacting with the group of elderly, Steve was finally able to drag Skylar away from the gossiping women with a promise that the pair would visit the dance hall on their next date, which Steve awkwardly agreed to. The pair finally emerged from the dance hall, coats in place while Skylar snickered under her breath when she realized how they had spent their date night.

"Gossiping were we?" Steve arched a brow down at her in amusement, slipping one of his arms around her waist to pin her to his side. She snorted, naturally resting her head against the side of his chest. She smiled at his teasing tone and chuckled as she glanced up at him.

"They were inquiring on our 'sexual encounters'." She pointed out, a playful glint in her eyes as she watched eagerly for that blush to cross his features and down his neck. She grinned brightly as he choked back on his own air, his wide eyes staring down at her in horror and embarrassment.

"They asked what?" He asked both flabbergasted and horrified sending her giggling as she stood on her toes to peck the underside of his chin.

"Calm your heels Captain Tightpants. I didn't tell them anything. I said we were waiting and that I was alright with that. They thought it was adorable and admirable of us to do so." She bluntly answered as he pulled open her door to the car, staring at her in surprise.

"You told them that? That you're okay waiting?" Steve asked surprised as Sky turned, leaning her back against the top of the car.

"Of course. I told you the same. It doesn't bother me, I'm fine waiting. You're worth it." She teasingly winked at him at her last comment, snickering when she noticed the heavy way he swallowed as his eyes taking a quick intake of her form leaning against her cousin's car. Steve realized where his head went and softly groaned, hoping Sky hadn't heard it but he was never the lucky one. She couldn't stop the proud smirk that crossed her lips as she turned, slipping into the passenger seat while peering up at him innocently.

"Come on Cap, freezing my ass off out here in the cold." She innocently pointed out before shutting the door, laughing to herself as she watched him stand in the same spot for a few more seconds. Shaking her head amused, she intently stared at him as he shook the thoughts from his head before finally walking around the car to the driver seat.

It was too easy. Too easy to tease him.

She enjoyed it, a lot. Probably too much.

"So what did you and your new buddies talk about? Sharing war stories?" She kicked off her heels as they pulled out of their parking stall and back onto the road. Pulling her legs up onto the seat and under her so she could massage her sore feet, she turned her eyes to glance at him in interest. The super soldier chuckled, never taking his eyes off of the road, yet feeling her stare on him as he made a right turn back towards the Tower.

"Yes, basically. Most of the men there served in the same war and knew some of the Howling Commandos." Steve answered with a genuine smile that grew till it reached his ears. Tilting her head, she got a better look at his face and smiled adoringly at him.

"So we shared our war stories, talked about some music that I remember listening to." He chuckled at the thought, briefly glancing down at her to see that she was still intently listening to him.

"What sort of music? Anything I know?" She scooted a bit higher in her seat, honestly wanting to know what had made him smile so much through the night. A small part of her was jealous that she hadn't been the reason he was smiling so brightly that night, but the larger part of her didn't care. As long as there was a smile on his face and he was happy, she was happy.

Steve immediately went into sharing everything him and the men gossiped about which mostly consisted of music that Steve had admitted that he missed dearly. Skylar stared at him the entire time, realizing that this was the first time since her capture that she had seen Steve so laid back and relaxed, just talking with her like there was no HYDRA or any sort of danger chasing them through the shadows.

Skylar had been so lost in Steve's story telling that she hadn't realized they had pulled up into Tony's underground parking garage till the car shut off and Steve turned to her with a smile.

"I could show you a few tracks? I have a record player still on my floor. I could probably find that record in one of my boxes." She blinked before smiling up at him.

"Yeah, sounds like a plan. Maybe I'll change into something more comfortable and meet you up there?" She then asked as Steve held open her door, holding a hand out to help her out of the car.

"That's fine. Gives me some time to dig through my storage for it. 15 minutes?" He shut the door, perking a brow down at her.

Skylar couldn't help but lean into him, her chin resting on his chest while she gazed up at him with a smile.

"What's with the smile doll?" He chuckled, tapping her chin playfully with his pointer finger before wrapping his arms lightly around her waist, pulling her impossibly closer. Sky leaned up, feeling like she needed to shower him with all the love her heart to give and pecked his chin again.

"I haven't seen you smile like this in a long time." She whispered, her eyes taking a sad turn at her confession. Steve's smile slowly disappeared before he leaned down, pressing his lips briefly to hers and then to her forehead.

"Stop it." He whispered against her forehead, moving his own forehead to rest against hers.

"Stop doing that to yourself. Stop downsizing yourself like that. I smile all the time, doll, especially with you." He admitted, using one of his hands to lift her face to meet his so he could stare into her beautiful eyes.

"Yeah but it's not the same. You're smile isn't the same." She added, forcing a smile onto her lips before standing taller to push her lips back against his soft ones, just wanting a moment to get lost in them.

Steve surprisingly answered her kiss back fiercely. His free hand dropping from her chin to the back of her head, holding her in place as he practically bent her over the top of Tony's car. Skylar heart thudded loudly in her chest, one of her hands gripping tightly at his hair while the other clawed at his leather coat, looking for any sort of anchor just to keep her feet on land.

Once Steve seemed to finally yank himself away from his desires for the woman in his arms, he forcefully had to pull his lips free of her addicting ones, his forehead once against finding refuge against hers.

"Let's get changed and find that record before it gets too late, hm?" He whispered out of breath, glancing down to see that her eyes were still shut, her lips parted.

"Okay." She answered in defeat as she fought the buzz that was currently running through her at high speed.

She said she was okay waiting, but really, was she?

Steve dropped her off on their shared floor with Tony, promising the woman a few snacks that he had hidden in his kitchen before she promised to hurry and meet him. Parting with another kiss, that took a few seconds to separate from, Skylar stepped onto their shared floor, looking around the empty living space with a sigh.

"That's quite some sigh there." A voice startled as she squealed, spinning with her hands up to see Tony perched on the kitchen counter, his favorite bottle of whiskey tightly in his grasp. She clenched her hands, slightly relieved that she hadn't blown him up or thrown him out the window.

"You're lucky I didn't throw your ass out the window." She whispered annoyed as he shrugged.

"I'm used to it." He added uncaring as she rolled her eyes.

Pushing back the near heart attack her cousin had almost gave her, she sighed in relief and annoyance, picking up her heels where she had dropped them in a panic.

"Isn't it past your bedtime?" She snorted, padding across the tile floor barefoot.

"And miss you doing the walk of shame?" He retorted causing her to throw her head back with a bark of laughter.

"Walk of shame would mean I had something to be ashamed of." She smirked, disappearing into the hallway towards her room, not before hearing Tony realize what she had said and gagged loudly.

"Oh my god! Tell me you and Capsicle didn't do the deed?! He's old enough to be dad, or even granddad. Eww….is he all wrinkly and stuff, like his biological age?" Tony scurried after her as she slipped into her temporary room, tossing her coat onto the bed before going into her closet to find something comfortable to wear.

"Dear god Tony, you sound like I just committed a crime." She rolled her eyes, completely ignoring his questions as he stood in the doorway, looking at her in horror.

"Well, it's considered a crime if you defaced government property, which Stevie-poo is. Does Cap have some fancy artwork to show off?" Tony wiggled his eyebrows at her, now completely amused at the annoyed glare she was giving him.

"Tony, do me a favor. Hold your breath and count to 1000?" She suddenly slipped a forced smile on her face, holding a pair of clothes under her arm as she approached Tony.

"No, I'm not going to the store to get you a day after pill. You're a grown ass adult. You can do that yourself." He quickly ignored her previous words as she rolled her eyes and flicked his forehead to get him to stop talking.

"Ow! What the hell Sky?!" He yelped, rubbing his forehead as she slapped a hand over his mouth.

"You need to get laid, today preferably. You're growing unbearable by the second." She muttered irritated as she pushed him aside before shutting the bathroom door to change.

"Can't deny that." She heard Tony comment back nonchalantly through the door as she stripped herself of her dress and pulled on a pair of black sweats and a teal tank top.

"Why don't you call that prostitute hotline you used to frequent back before Pepper? I'm sure they have the same girls lining up around the block." She teased, pulling open the door before heading back into the closet to hang her dress back up.

"Ha-ha-ha, hilarious. That wasn't a prostitute hotline but a Forbes editor in training." He smirked proudly as she shut the door to her closet, gagging.

"You probably traumatized her too. Poor girl was younger than me. Ew.." She shivered in disgust, plugging her phone in to charge before pulling her hair free of its bun, yanking a brush through her locks.

"I didn't hear her complaining when she snuck away in the morning." He made a gesture with his hand, moving his fingers as if they were walking.

"Hence her sneaking away. Let me reiterate 2 things I pointed out earlier." She spun to face him, her hands clasped together at her chin.

"One. You traumatized her. Two. Ew. Double ew. She was old enough to be your daughter. I'm surprised she didn't call the feds and admit to you rocking the cradle." She explained in all seriousness, though she knew Tony wouldn't listen to a second of her rant.

"Rocking the cradle? Please. She wanted it or she wouldn't have eagerly followed me back to my floor like a cat in heat." He spun back to watch as she slipped her feet into a pair of fluffy house slippers.

"Jesus, you are impossible." She shook her head, pulling open her room door before leaving without announcing to Tony that she was.

"Hey! Wait up! Geez, where's the fire?" He ran after her once he realized he was standing in the middle of her now empty bedroom.

"About 3 floors up." She added back uncaring as she pressed the up button for the elevator. Tony slipped up beside her, blinking in wonder before his eyes widened.

"Oh my god, are you guys already going for round two? Geez! Once you get someone like Cap going, he can't be stopped, huh?" Tony was enjoying the reaction he was getting from his cousin and chuckled as he silently stepped into the elevator.

"Well, since I'm the guardian, I should be telling you to use protection and safe words if needed. Also, keep the noise down, I don't want to hear Cap singing the Star Spangle Banner 3 floors down while he's drilling into my cousin." Tony slipped his hands into his pockets as she glared hard at him through the still open elevator doors.

"Tony, if you know what is good for you, Shut. Up." She hissed in a threat, watching as he lifted his hands in defeat and smiled.

"Good night princess!" he shouted as the door finally shut in his face.

"Friday." Skylar immediately called to the AI.

"Yes, Miss Stark." The female AI quickly answered.

"Do me a favor. When I arrive on the Cap's floor, lock all entrances to that floor. Override all cameras and hidden audio tech Tony has bugged into his floor." She instantly commanded to the AI. She had considered doing it herself but she wasn't sure how much damage she would actually do to the AI in the meantime and settled for having the AI do it herself. Better safe than sorry.

"Yes miss. Override initiating in 15 seconds." The AI answered as she sighed in relief, stepping off the elevator as soon as it opened on Steve's floor.

"Override initiated." Friday's voice continued, disturbing the silence on Steve's floor.

"Thanks Friday." She thanked, her feet shuffling across the entryway and into the 40s themed living area where Steve's record player now sat. Her eyes landed on the old tech, causing her to smile as she approached it, recognizing the machine Steve had been so happy to receive when he realized they no longer listened to music the same way.

"Override? Is everything alright?" Steve's voice surprised her as she stood, glancing over to see him carrying a box of records out of the hallway and towards her.

Skylar found herself momentarily distracted as he was now dressed in a pair of loose sweat pants and tight white tank top. If she had a choice in his wear, she would make him dress this way all the time. There was nothing sexier to her than this image right here. Shaking her head, she smiled, stepping aside as Steve walked past her to the coffee table.

"Tony has it in his mind that I've come up here to ravish you and deface government property for the second time tonight." Skylar explained innocently, plopping down on the couch only to burst out laughing as he stumbled over his left foot, almost sending the box of records flying through the air. The look of alarm on his face, sent her heart melting at his innocence before she smiled at him.

"Wh-what would make him assume something like that?" It took a while for Steve to collect himself completely, ignoring the blush that was continuing to grow across his features before he went back to placing the box down carefully.

"My cousin assumed I was doing the walk of shame when I got to my room. So naturally, I defended myself." Skylar shrugged, honestly not giving a care in the world to what her cousin thought both her and America's Golden Boy were doing alone. Steve on the other hand, couldn't stop the look of amusement that briefly flashed across his features at present day lingo that passed through her lips. He remembered hearing Stark mention 'the walk of shame' a few times to Sam and Clint, so naturally he caught on to what it truly meant.

"So the override?" Steve lifted his eyes from the box to glance across the coffee table at her in interest.

"A precaution. Figured I fiddle with Tony's strings just a bit. I do love to piss him off." She teased, watching as a smile replaced his look of horror.

"So, that record…." Skylar cleared her throat when she realized she had been staring at him longer than necessary and pushed to sit on the edge of the couch, peering into the box at the stack of records that were nicely laid against one side of the box.

"Oh, right, record." He nodded, shaking his own thoughts from his head as he went back to riffling through his collection.

Skylar didn't bother to fight back the smile that slithered onto her face as she turned her eyes away from the box to Steve's look of concentration. He truly was adorable when he was deep in concentration. Now that she thought of it, she realized that he hadn't asked about her comment on 'the walk of shame'. But was she really surprised? She wouldn't be shocked if Tasha took it upon herself to introduce the present day lingo to the innocent 40s child. Shrugging, she leaned back against the couch, pulling her legs onto the cushions beside her.

"Ah-ha! Here it is and still in good condition." He pulled out a record still wrapped in plastic and used the edge of his shirt to wipe at it a bit.

Skylar sat up quickly as he found the record he was looking for before she slipped onto the floor, just beside the coffee table. Sitting on her knees, she peered over in interest, wanting to know what all the hype was with this particular record he had been discussing heavily with the other men at the dance hall. He stared at the cover with a fond smile, flipping it over to the back momentarily before looking to see her staring at him in fascination.

"What?" He blinked in confusion before she broke out into a goofy smile.

"I forgot how excited you get when something good from the past comes up." She smiled, pushing up on her knees, far enough to peck his lips, taking him off guard. Steve watched as she pulled away, watching closely as she turned back to the box, reaching in with interest as she pulled out another pair of records, muttering under her breath as she looked at either of them.

Two people from completely different times, yet, they molded together perfectly and imperfectly.

If his mother were still here, he had no doubt in his mind, just as the men from the dance hall said, she would greatly approve of Skylar, imperfections and all.

"Rogers, you're staring again." She sing sang in amusement, never looking up from the record in her hand. She lifted her eyes finally, chuckling at his look of innocence before looking back to the record in her hand.

Oh yeah. His mother would have loved her.

* * *

 **There you have it. Can't wait to see what happens next.**

 **Actually, I'm a bit curious. How many of you are anxiously waiting for a smut? Lol I've gotten a few mentions of wanting some sort of smut and I really want to know how many of you do. Drop me a comment**

 **See you on Sunday~**


	27. Chapter 27

**Drum roll please! By far my LONGEST chapter to date!**

 **Here is the next update and as I promised many, many times, the long awaited smut!**

 **Lol it took me all week to write this. I wanted it perfect and it has been a while since I wrote a smut so I was even more tedious about how it was going to go seeing as Steve should be a virgin in this point of my story.**

 **I really hope you all enjoy this juiciness as much as I enjoyed writing it!**

 **WARNING: Smut…haha, you have been warned. If this isn't your cup of tea, I would skip this entire chapter to be safe lol**

 **Either than that, ENJOY!**

 **DISCLAIMER: I do not own Marvel or it's characters.**

* * *

Steve stood from his spot on the floor, heading over to his record player while carefully slipping the record out of its protective case.

"So what's so good about this record that it had you old men swooning at the dance hall?" She teased, slipping the record she had been inspecting intently back into its box before standing, following him over to the record player. Upon hearing her little jab, he scoffed, blowing on the record a bit before gently placing it in place with a smile.

"How about you let me play it and then ask?" He perked his brow in her direction playfully while she chuckled, rolling her eyes and nodding.

"Alright. Alright. Keep your tights on." She held her hands up in defeat, plopping down onto the armchair just beside the device.

"Alright. Now that I have your complete attention." He continued to tease as she kicked her leg out, knocking against his thigh causing him to laugh.

"It's really hard for you not to have my attention. I pretty much gawk at you whenever you are physically in sight. Have you seen your legs in tights?" She smirked proudly, leaning her chin on her open palm as she watched him amused. Steve having known he practically walked into that joke, met her eyes before snorting. He was proud of that confession, she knew.

Turning his attention back to the record, fighting back the blush that was slowly beginning to crawl across his cheeks as her words sunk in, he flipped the player on before placing the needle where it needed to be. At first, the usual scratchy noise echoed through the room, pulling a surprised blink from Skylar before finally, an older beat began to melt through.

Skylar sunk back into the cushions as the beat began to play, her eyes watching as Steve nodded to the beat that was most familiar to him. She loved this side of him. A side she only ever got to witness when anything from his past was brought up, well, happy things from his past. She smiled, intently listening to him hum along with the song playing before his baby blues met hers.

"When this song first came out, it was a hit song for a long time. Everyone played it and sang it. I remember hearing it play repeatedly at the dance halls Bucky dragged me to." Steve seemed to have slowly begin to get lost in his thoughts while Skylar watched his face intently as various expressions showed before it all fell at the mention of Bucky.

She hated to see him in pain. See him so worried about his friend. She knew where he was. She remembered him telling her as they dragged him away to what she had later found out was the attack on the Triskelion. Bucky had been planning on running the moment he got a chance, he had been planning to since he met Steve and instantly remembered his friend. Sure. HYDRA had put Bucky back into the chair once the super soldier mentioned his friend from the bridge but Skylar knew, once she saw the assassin after his treatment, that he never truly forgot about Steve.

She tapped the thoughts out of her mind and to the man that was now grinning as he scanned through the songs listed on the back of his Bing Crosby Record. There it was. That smile that could melt away her most terrible thoughts and forget why she was ever upset to start with. He didn't know what his smile did to her and for the time being, she was going to keep that to herself for as long as she could. Chuckling, she pushed herself from her seat and walked over to where he was silently standing. Gently taking the album from his hand, placing it back onto the table, she turned in amusement to his confused expression before she held her hand out for him.

Steve glanced down in confusion to her small hand being held out for him before meeting her eyes again.

"It's a hand. You usually take it when it's being held out for you." She teased with that jaw dropping smirk which only sent excitement flooding through his system. Damn her and her silent charm.

Snorting to cover his embarrassment, he placed his hand in hers, waiting patiently for what she had planned.

"Dance with me, will ya Captain?" She perked a teasing brow up at him as he laughed, yanking her towards him without an warning, sending her stumbling into his chest where he wrapped his free hand around her small waist.

"You know, where I come from, the man is usually the one who asks the dame for a dance?" Steve spoke in feigned innocence sending Skylar laughing this time as she pulled her face from his chest, pursing her lips in attempt to fight her smile.

"Well, where I come from, women step up to the plate too." She added back proudly as he chuckled, spinning them carefully, slightly stumbling over the furniture that was laid out around the living room.

"You know, I'm surprised you know how to dance at all. Did you dance a lot back in the 40s?" She then turned her interested eyes up to him to watch as a higher form of embarrassment took hold of his features. He cleared his throat, momentarily looking away to collect his thoughts.

"Well….to be honest, I didn't dance much. At all actually." Her eyes twinkled as she watched the redness in his cheeks grow through his pale complexion. She blinked in surprise, yelping in shock as she tripped over her left foot, Steve barely having time to shake off his embarrassement in time to catch her. She stared wide eyed up at him, blinking a few times before they both broke out laughing, her super soldier pulling her to stand in his arms once more as she continued to giggle.

"Well, even if you sucked beyond belief, you can't be as bad as me." She shrugged with a sputter of her lips, having long ago given into her embarrassment of never truly knowing how to dance, no matter how many dance classes Nat had shoved down her throat. She was destined to have two left feet in that section.

Steve smiled down at her, noticing the way she didn't seem to care if she was worst then him at dancing and felt his heart melt just a bit more. She really didn't hold onto her embarrassment too long to really bother her, he envied her in that aspect. He wanted to be perfect for her. Steve wanted to be everything she needed and more, even be able to dance her flawlessly around the room without any mistake. But really? Who was he kidding? She had two left feet and it would seem that he had webbed feet that were constantly battling each other for dominance. Only thing he could be grateful in was the fact that their legs cooperated when they needed them most.

"You're over thinking things again." Her voice pulled him from his thoughts as his baby blues flashed down to meet the hazel ones already waiting for him. He smirked, continuing in their stumbling before he lifted a hand from her waist to caress her cheek.

"Not overthinking. Getting 'lost in space' as you refer it to." He answered with a teasing wink sending her snorting before barking in laughter.

"Oh baby! You and your present day lingo are priceless!" She said through her laughter as Steve's body briefly stiffened at her nickname for him. When was the last time he had heard her refer to him that way?

Before HYDRA.

Feeling him stiffen under her touch, she froze in her movements, looking up through her lashes in concern, wondering if she had said something to upset him. What she saw when her hazel eyes met his, wasn't anger or sadness, but a look she wasn't used to seeing often from him.

Her throat went dry as she slowly watched the way the pupils of his baby blues grew till she could barely pinpoint the blues she loved so much. But the blackness of his eyes, sent another look she had secretly loved to have seen from him one day.

Licking her suddenly dry lips, her thighs unconsciously clamping together in hopes that he didn't suddenly gain a super scent ability that would send her blushing red enough to send the ninth ring of hell packing it's bags. Skylar quickly casted her eyes back down to the front of his tank top, hoping that staring at the grooves in his shirt would help to calm down the need growing between her legs.

No such luck as the flex of his biceps just behind said 'grooves' caught her attention before the hand he had on her cheek, slid down to her chin, forcing her to look into his now dark blue eyes.

She suddenly felt nervous, an expression she never acquainted with the man standing before her. But, something in the way he looked at her, sent a small jolt of nervousness through her entire body before excitement began to cloud her mind.

Steve stared in want at the woman in his arms, just the very scent wafting off of her and into his personal space enough to chip away at the self-control he had been so proud of since the moment he had first met her. He knew, he had promised her that when the time was right, he would do 'the deed' as Stark had so graciously called their coupling. His hand unconsciously gripped her hip as the thought took hold of his emotions enough to briefly show her a window of vulnerability behind his dark orbs. But, was he ready? Was he really ready to completely give himself to her?

Without a doubt.

He was.

He pulled her face away from its hiding place in his tank, using his forefinger as a lever to hold her in place. His eyes bounced back and forth from both her beautiful hazels before his attention was stolen at the innocent movement of her tongue brushing across her bottom lip. Dark blue orbs burned a hole into her luscious lips, his thump leaving the tip of her chin to brush lightly over her plump bottom lip, ones that he had grown addicted to from the moment he had been fortunate enough to touch them with his own.

"Kiss me." Her wavering voice whispered desperately sending his eyes shooting up to meet hers intently, searing heat shooting down and into his groin.

Skylar wasn't sure how much more of this she would be able to handle before she did something that he'd either enjoy or run from. She didn't want to take the chance in case it was the latter option of the two but watching as his eyes basically ate away at her features, even if she couldn't have him all, she needed some part of him. Any part he was willing to share with her.

His lips.

Her eyes rebounded back from his eyes and down to his now parted lips as she whispered desperately for him to kiss her. Both stood still, silently waiting for the other to move, for the other to reject the offer and separate from each other. But neither happened as Steve's blown orbs met her own shortly before he all but pulled her flush against his rock hard body, molding his lips to hers desperately.

Skylar's hand gripped tightly to the hair at the nape of his neck, wanting nothing more than to pull him impossibly close against her, wanting to feel his body pressed against her own.

She was soft. Her body was so soft against his. How he had gone this long without enjoying the feel of her body pressed against his, he had no logical explanation. But now that they were finally alone without the chance of prying eyes or ears, his body was reacting the way any normal man did when a beautiful woman was all but pressed completely against them. He was almost completely sure that she could feel the way she was affecting him.

As the minutes passed, the kiss grew hungrier and hungrier, Skylar letting out a soft mew of pleasure as she felt Steve's hot tongue brush across her awaiting lips, almost sending her completely writhing in his arms.

Having not expected the sound, Steve yanked his lips from her own, his eyes shining down to see the serenity playing across her face.

Panting heavily, Skylar slowly peeled her eyes open as a shiver ran through her form, all the way down to her toes.

He had never kissed her like that. Ever.

Meeting his eyes, she watched the mix of desperation and hesitation flood through his eyes. He was scared. Hesitant and most of all, aroused. The look in his eyes were so obvious, but if she hadn't been looking at him, the poke to her thigh would be her next hint.

Swallowing once more, she slowly dropped one of her hands from its place behind his neck and held it to his chin, attempting to get his attention as best as she could.

"It's alright. We don't have to do anything you aren't comfortable with. I meant it when I said I would wai—" She was suddenly cut off by his lips hungrily attaching back to hers, pushing her into the nearest wall in surprise. She gasped as her back made contact with the wallpaper, her body pressed tightly to his as she fought for some sort of leverage against the sensations he was giving her.

She had been so lost in his lips that she hadn't realized he pulled away until she felt his plump lips on her neck, brushing the skin just beneath her ear. Biting into her lip, she fought against the sounds desperately trying to claw out of her throat.

"I want you, I want this but…" He whispered sending a new kind of heat shooting through her core as her eyes shot open to meet his blown orbs again.

"I don't…this…I don't….know how…." He began stumbling over his words quickly, that look of hungry quickly melting into a look of embarrassment. Her heart fluttered in her chest at his confession before she lifted his chin, allowing him to meet her eyes once more as she smiled adoringly at him.

"I can show you." She whispered, biting down into her bottom lip as she watched that same hungry look once again take hold of his features.

Steve's eyes clouded in lust, bit the inside of his cheek at her words before his eyes easily found their place on her lips.

"Show me." He whispered after a few moments of them standing there staring at each other.

For too long he wanted this woman. As inappropriate as it was, he wanted her. If she would have him, he would easily give himself without a fight. Too long had they danced around the prospect of being sexually involved. For too long he had ignored the heavy set in his pants from seeing her work out in nothing more than a sports bra and shorts that showed too much. Too long had they fooled around with innocent touches that sent fire through his loins every single time.

His insides were burning with want, with need but that sliver of the old Steve Rogers hiding in the deepest darkest corners of his mind, wavered at the thought of this being his first time. What if he didn't do it right? What if he did something wrong? What if he was bad? What if she didn't enjoy herself and left him right after for someone who could properly please her? What if he made a fool of himself in the meantime?

Her core tightened uncontrollably at his desperate whisper back. Her insides practically fluttering with need. She wanted him. But from the look in his eyes now, she could see the way that he was second guessing himself, the way he was hesitant and now berating himself in his inexperience.

No. She would have none of that.

Pushing away from the wall, yanking him from his thoughts as she grasped his hand.

"Come with me Captain." Her husky voice sent him stumbling after her in both confusion and sexual frustration.

Skylar would not stand there and allow him to berate himself, not when he was willing to give her a chance in 'coupling' with him. No. She wanted his first time to be special, to be everything he ever wanted and she was going to make sure that would happen, the right way.

Her heart thumped loudly in her ears as she bypassed the record player now gracefully projecting a beautiful saxophone number through the living space before she escorted him down the hallway towards his bedroom.

"Where are we…" Steve asked as he stumbled to keep up with her, watching as she pushed open his door and tugged him inside.

"I want to do this right." She whispered, unable to meet his eyes with the 50 shades of red her face was currently experiencing. She had never fathomed the prospect of actually having sex with Steve. Not this soon anyways, but she wasn't complain, not in the least.

Steve stood there mildly gaping as he watched her shut the door, flipping the lock for an extra precaution before she finally turned to face him in the dimly lit room.

"I'm not going to pressure you into doing anything you aren't comfortable with. You know that right?" Skylar slowly approached him, her eyes never leaving his as she continued to feel the familiar thump echo down her form repeatedly.

Steve couldn't stop himself from swallowing heavily at the look in her eyes before she was all but pressed up against his chest again. Immediately his hands shot out, grasping her hips tightly in his hands, unconsciously knowing that his touch would indeed leave small bruises.

His eyes naturally scanned her form before him, she was so small compared to his towering frame. But he knew, though she was small, she still packed a punch. Skinny yet curvy in all the right areas, she was the type of woman Bucky would have loved to win over had she been around back in the 40s. Lifting his hand from her hip, he played with the loose lock of hair hanging just beside her ear before he reached back and tugged her hair free of the rubber band it was in. Steve's eyes watched intently as her soft locks cascaded gracefully down her shoulders to the middle of her back. Though it was a different color from her original one, he loved it no less than he had before.

Running his fingers through the soft locks, he watched as her eyes slowly fluttered shut before she leaned into his touch, her face turning to peck at the inside of his wrist.

"We don't have to do anything you don't want to do." She whispered once more, wanting to make sure that he knew he didn't have to do anything beyond what they were used to. She would be content just lying in his arms, but if he went any further, she wasn't sure if she'd be able to stop herself once he got her started.

As Skylar spoke, Steve pried his eyes from her hair to her face, seeing that she was already watching him in hesitation though he could easily pinpoint the desperate need barely flashing behind her orbs.

"No. I want this. I want you. But…." Steve had started to explain his inexperience once more as ashamed as he was, his eyes taking a quick hungry scan of her body before Skylar's finger to his lips stopped him. His eyes shot up to meet hers once more as she shook her head, smiling softly at him as she slowly dragged that same finger down his chin, down the front of his throat to the top of his tank top.

"I'll show you. Do you trust me?" She whispered lowly as her eyes followed the trail her finger was now taking down the front of his chest, between his abs to the hem of his tank where she felt and heard him visibly shiver.

"Yes." He breathed out in desperation yanking her attention back to his face to see it contorted in need for her.

This was the time. She smiled, feeling a small leap in her throat before she threw herself at him, her lips hungrily pressing against his as he stumbled back by the force of her body. The back of his knees hit the edge of his bed, sending him falling onto his back, his arms gripping her hips tightly again.

Skylar felt them falling, no fear in sight as she knew, even in a sexual induced activity, Steve would never let harm come to her. Her theory was further proven as her arms and knees hit the familiar softness of Steve's bed. Pulling away from his lips for much needed air, she stared down at him in a daze, welcoming his own daze as he parted his now swollen lips.

"What if I'm not any good?" He whispered through his heavy breath, his forehead slipping up to rest against her own. She smiled, goodheartedly at his concern before she pushed herself to sit up, now straddling his waist.

"There is no such thing as not being any good, especially if you haven't tried it before." She teased as he pulled his eyes open further to gaze up at the sight of her straddling his waist. She looked beautiful sitting above him, he couldn't control himself as his hands slowly snuck down from their place on her hips to her bare thighs, feeling the muscle contract slightly under his palms.

Skylar bit her lip as she felt his warm palms, palm at her thighs now clamped on each side of his hips before her lips parted at the feel of him suddenly twitch between her legs. Dear god. She wasn't even sure if she was mentally ready for this but she wanted him so badly.

Slowly arching her back, she rested her hands on each side of his head, hovering over him while he looked up at her with need.

"You trust me?" She whispered once more, her eyes scanning his face for any hidden hint to hesitation or fear.

"Yes." He whispered back, one hand quickly reached for the side of her neck, his fingers sliding up into her hair to the back of her head, pulling her lips flush against his quickly.

Skylar tilted her head to the side, wanting to kiss every inch of his body. Slipping her tongue out, she brushed it lightly over his lips, feeling his body stiffen quickly under her, his hand on her thigh tightening briefly before he pulled his lips open for her. She had been momentarily worried that she had scared him there but feeling his hands caressing her legs and arms, she knew he was slowly getting into the groove of things.

As their tongues fought for dominance over each other, she slowly lifted her hands from their resting place, without detaching her lips from his own, she grabbed his hands in her hold, guiding them to her rear. Sure, he had slapped her ass a few times, more as a joke than anything, but to feel his hands now resting on her plump backside, it did nothing but send an overdrive of excitement through her form.

Pulling her lips finally from his, in fear that she was suffocating him, she met his black orbs, slowly dragging her hands from his wrists in time to moan out softly as his hands squeezed her backside in his large palms.

Steve didn't know what to do. He was momentarily frozen under her before feeling her guide his hands to her backside. As embarrassed as he was, with the jolt of electricity such a touch sent through him along with the sound that escaped her perfect lips, he couldn't find it in him to care.

He wanted her. Needed her.

Sitting up quickly, finding it almost too easy to move her further down his waist to sit in his lap, he stared at her disheveled form sitting before him. Even in the dim light, he could point out the obvious redness to her features along with her now swollen lips. She was gorgeous.

"You're beautiful." He hadn't meant to say it out loud as he ran his fingers through her hair, pushing it from her face. Skylar in turn, smiled as best as she could in her current predicament, turning to kiss his palm. Feeling him about to pull away, her hands shot out, grasping his wrist while her eyes held his confused ones. Keeping her eyes on him, her lips in place, she slowly ghosted her lips up his palm to his pointer finger. Wondering how he was going to react to what she was about to do, she ignored the hesitation and slipped the tip of his finger between her lips.

Steve's eyes widened as he watched her slip his finger in between her awaiting lips before he felt her tongue barely brush the tip. Heat immediately rushed through him without warning, his eyes dilating further as his jaw went slack. Why was such a small gesture so arousing?

That's when she heard it.

Steve moaned, deeply. Almost sounding as if someone just struck the cord of a bass guitar, she felt the sound vibrate through her own form and down between her legs, where she knew she must be soaking.

Before she could open her mouth to join the moaning mess Steve was slowly turning into, her super soldier and all his muscles had her on her back before she even realized they had moved. Her legs fell to the mattress while her arms were quickly tied around his neck in surprise.

She blinked, staring up at him in surprise to see that it was no joking matter. Licking his finger had done things to him. It had struck him the right way and right now, Steve felt like he was moments from exploding as she had barely touched him. Her hazel eyes scanned his features in the dimly lit room before watching as he ducked his head down, assuming he was about to kiss her. She was completely wrong as he avoided her lips for the first time and instead went to her neck, ghosting his nose up her pulse to her ear.

"I need to see you." He whispered hoarsely into her ear, taking a small nip at her lobe, watching proudly as her body bucked up into his at the small action.

Skylar's eyes had momentarily shut at the brush of his nose, her body arching to press against his once more before she opened her now violet eyes, suddenly realizing the lights were now on above them and around the room. She tilted her head to the side, looking over at the nearest lamp sitting on his side table to see it give off a small spark of electricity.

"When I said I needed to see you, I didn't mean with the lights on." He whispered with a deep chuckle, causing her to blush when she realized she must have done it unconsciously because of how aroused she was.

Pulling away from her neck, Steve gazed down at her form lying beneath his with all the love in the world. Skylar laid still beneath him, still finding it hard to meet his eyes after that small slip up, but the moment she felt his hands on her hips, her now hazel eyes shot over to meet his questioning ones.

"Can I?" He asked hesitantly, his eyes shooting down to her waist in a silent show of what he wanted. Skylar being the smart person she was, glanced down in confusion before a blush rose from her neck to her ears. Clearing her throat when she realized how lost she truly was, she nodded for him to remove her shirt.

Steve's lips twitched in amusement before he leaned over to give her a chaste peck to her lips, his hands slowly traveling up the skin of her stomach, to her sides before he pulled away as she sat up to make it easier for him to remove the article of clothing. Her hair fell around her shoulders perfectly before Steve's eyes shot down to her breasts being held in a black lace number. Seeing as he looked like a doe in the headlights of a car, Skylar smirked slightly and tapped him playfully on the chest.

"Get up for a second." She whispered as his eyes finally met her in confusion.

"Don't worry. I wanna get up and do something." She explained as he nodded slowly, unsure if he did something to displease her but did as she asked anyways. As soon as he was off of her, she scooted to the end of the bed, easily noticing how much of an effect she truly was having on him and smirked at the tent being pitched in his sweats.

Turning when she noticed he was standing patiently beside her while fidgeting unconsciously with his pants, she smirked and gave him a gentle shove. She watched amused as he fell to sit on the edge of the bed, leaving his head now eye level with her shoulders. She was slowly beginning to enjoy the fact that she could easily push him around.

"What…." He began to speak as she wove her hands behind her back, fiddling with her bra clips before it loosened. Smiling bashfully, she pulled her arms forward, glancing down to watch her bra slip to the floor, showcasing her bare chest to him.

Now that it was finally getting to a place Steve had never ventured to, she couldn't help but feel a bit embarrassed that she was finally baring all to the super soldier. Building her crumbling courage, she lifted her eyes to see him staring with wide eyes at her bare chest, his lips parted, hands gripping his thighs tightly.

Slowly stepping forward, Skylar leaned down, grabbing his hands free of their abuse on his legs and drew them to her breasts. Steve watched in innocent wonder as she grabbed his hands before a jolt of electricity shot down to his crotch at the feeling of her breasts now in palms. She pressed his hands to her chest before giving it an experimental squeeze sending her knees wobbling as she let out a sound of pleasure. Steve's eyes watched her face intently, ignoring the pain growing in his pants as he personally gave her chest another squeeze.

Skylar dropped her hands from his own, allowing him to do with her, what he wanted, and that's exactly what he did. He massaged her breasts between his palms, intently watching the reaction he was pulling from him. Getting a bit experimental, Steve's left hand slowly loosened before he used the tips of his fingers to tease just around her nipple, watching in arousal as it perked in time with the moan that rippled up her throat.

Letting out a shaky breath, gaining just an inch of courage, he leaned forward and took that same perked nub between his lips. Her reaction was almost instant as her body arched into his mouth, her hands now gripping at his hair.

Steve's eyes sought out her face, seeing the pleasure cross through her features as her jaw went slack with a soft moan, she was enjoying this as much as he was. Loving the way she was reacting to what he was doing, he lightly bit down on her nipple, wondering if it would be okay, he got his answer when Skylar's voice cried out, her fingers tightening in his hair.

His lips pulled away with a loud pop before he tilted his head back to look up at her. Skylar met his eyes and smiled through her sexual daze before she hungrily attacked his lips with her own, her hands basically clawing at his tank, wanting to feel actual skin beneath her tips. Having gotten the hint, Steve pulled away from her lips, long enough to pull his shirt free from his torso before his hands shot out, grabbing her hips and yanking her to straddle his waist.

Skylar squeaked in surprise at the sudden grab before looking down at her nipples brushed against the scorching hot skin of his chest. Biting her lip, she looked up in time to see Steve dive down for her lips again.

He was a fast learner, she'd give him that.

Tongue clashing with his tongue, she raked her fingernails down his back while rolling her hips as his hands pulled her snug against his crotch.

Steve's lips were the first to separate as she rolled her hips a bit faster against his own, his hot breath blowing across her neck as he buried his nose in her throat.

"Damn." He cursed in a guttural growl while she kissed his forehead, knowing it was taking a lot in him not to just throw her on the bed and ravish her till she couldn't breathe. Feeling him grab for one of her breasts, she tilted her head back to stare up at the ceiling, moaning out his name as he bit down on her nipple. She felt like she was going to explode. Literally explode. If she didn't do something to alleviate even some of the tension between her thighs, she was going to cry.

Grabbing his face in her hands, she pulled him free of her breast, noticing the various love bites he had left in his attack and pressed her lips to his once more, biting down on his bottom lip before pulling away, watching as his lip bounced back in place.

"Sky…" He groaned, his clutch on her growing even tighter at his desperation.

"I know." She whispered, equally out of breath as she pecked just under his neck, dragging her teeth down his throat to his collarbone. Steve moaned out softly, his hips bucking unconsciously into hers, almost knocking her completely to her knees. Ignoring the ache between her legs in favor of pleasing him, she pried his hands from her, attempted to before she pulled herself from his lap, kneeling between his now open legs.

Steve's hesitant eyes met her as she continued to kiss down his chest to his abs, pecking each muscle before pecking just above the hem of his pants. His hands shot out, gripping the comforter under him.

"Sky….." He moaned out once more, desperation clear as day on his voice.

"You trust me, right?" She asked once more, knowing that the next move could get any sort of reaction out of him, even fear.

"Of course." He answered without hesitation, his eyes taking in her form kneeling between his legs before she felt the tips of her fingers slipping beneath the elastic. Gaping like a fish out of water, he wanted to tell her no, tell her she didn't need to do what he knew she was going to do, but he couldn't find it in him to reject her as she began tugging at the fabric, his body easily complying with her actions.

Before he knew it, his sweats were around his ankles before she lifted each foot, yanking it free of his form. Redness quickly took over his cheeks as he realized he was completely bare in front of her, something he hadn't been completely prepared for. But now that it had happened, as he watched her eyes scan his naked form in attention before her eyes landed on his girth standing proudly against his lower belly, he couldn't fight the small tinge of confidence that riddled through him.

Skylar's eyes quickly took in his form as he was completely opened to her for the first time. Sure, she had joked on many occasions with Tasha that he would be well-endowed, especially with the super serum backing him up, and to her surprise, they weren't completely lying. Aside from the biceps and abs she was so used to drooling over on a daily basis, when her eyes locked on the girth standing proudly just inches in front of him, she couldn't stop herself from suddenly swallowing down her dry throat.

Oh how much she wanted him.

She scooted a bit closer to him, the tips of her breast barely caressing the tops of his now bare thighs. She made short eye contact with him as she allowed her hands to slowly trail up his thighs, giving him the opportunity to stop her if he wasn't comfortable with what she was about to do next. But he didn't, even as her hands slowly snuck between his legs, the only look present on his face was the look of hunger. He looked seconds away from wanting to jump across the opening between them and devour her into the floor.

Oh if he did, she would welcome it without any hesitation.

As her hand hesitantly slipped out to grab his hot shaft, Steve let out a deep growl from deep within his chest, his eyes immediately shutting upon feeling her small hands shutting around him. Oh, if being touched as simply like this, felt this good, he could only imagine what it would feel like to have her completely swallowing him. Just that thought alone sent his shaft twitching in her palm. Steve then took in a shaky breath, not wanting to combust too early only to have the breath completely stolen from his throat as her perfect lips enclosed around his tip.

"Fu….." He had been moments from cursing openly for the first time before his hands unconsciously shot out to hold her platinum hair in his grasp.

"Sky….I can't." He began to pant out as she moved easily up and down his shaft, completely swallowing him till his tip brush the back of her throat. It made him see stars, if that was possible. Every time her throat closed around his tip, he bit down into his bottom lip, forcefully stopping himself from screaming or even crying out in pleasure. How she was doing what she was doing with her mouth, was beside him, but he didn't want it to stop.

"Sky. Sky. Stop. I'm gonna….." He began to beg, feeling his end quickly approaching as his thigh muscles tightened. Skylar shook her head, pulling off his shaft with a pop before her eyes were on him once more.

"It's alright. Let go. Come for me." She whispered the last part, her lips quickly finding him once more as she hollowed her cheeks, her hand stroking what of his length she couldn't reach. Steve's body twitched under her, his hands yanking away from her hair, afraid that he would hurt her if he hadn't. Resting his hands behind him, he began to breathe heavier and heavier, his jaw opening further and further as his eyes intently watched his shaft disappear and reappear from her lips.

And just like that, white hot pleasure shot through his form in waves of electricity. He hadn't been expecting it and neither had Skylar by the surprise gasp in the back of her throat as his warm seed shot into her mouth, coating her tongue with his deliciousness. Steve groaned, growled, clawed and cried through the entire thing before he collapsed back into his bed, panting heavily from his first orgasm.

And my, was it a good one.

Skylar pulled away with a pop, quickly swallowing him before using his thighs to push herself to stand. The sight that welcomed her when she took a look at her super soldier, was one she would cherish forever. He looked relaxed and downright happy with himself, even if he did nothing but lay there, but she wasn't complaining. From the wet spot on her underwear, she had enjoyed it just as he did.

"Feel good baby?" She cooed teasingly, closing his legs before slipping back into his lap, her hands resting on his chest. Steve couldn't help but chuckle in disbelief, peeling open his eyes to eye her form hovering above him.

"So that's what that feels like." He teased back as she snorted, leaning down to peck the corner of his mouth.

"And we're not done yet." She whispered, licking a trail up his neck to his ear. Steve's hands darted out, grabbing her waist before sliding them around her backside. He groaned as she continued to litter his neck with kisses before realizing she was obviously wearing more layers than he was. Flipping them both over, a proud smirk playing on his lips at the surprise expression she gave her, he leaned down, pressing his lips to hers.

"You're wearing too many layers, doll." He whispered with a new found confidence against her lips, his hands making quick way with her black lace bottoms. Pushing himself to sit up and kneel in front of her, his eyes slowly traced her form from top to bottom before landing on the junction between her legs. Biting his lip, watching as she laid silently beneath him, her eyes urging him to do what he wanted with her, his eyes sought out her most private part. Pressing his palms into her knees, he watched her face intently as he began to spread them, opening her up further for him.

"It's alright Steve. It's alright." She reassured him as he stopped, finding it hard to glance down, afraid that he would combust at just the sight of her. Licking his bottom lip, he nodded in understanding and slowly let his eyes drift down her bare chest to her toned stomach to her southern lips that were wide open for his attention. Heat shot up through his spine and into his head as he groaned at the sight of her practically soaking for him.

"Did I do this?" he whispered huskily, his eyes never leaving the sight of her soaked core as that same innocent redness caressed his cheeks.

"You always do." She whispered through an impatient whine, garnering his proud attention.

"Can I?" He then asked, his hands slowly traveling up her thighs, sending her squirming beneath him.

"God please. Yes." She answered desperately, her hands clutching at the sheets beneath her in anticipation. His lips twitched in amusement, enjoying the sight of her writhing and begging for his attention. Leaving his left hand resting on her hip bone, he intently watched her face as he allowed his right hand to skim just above her core, watching as Sky twitched, taking in a sudden breath of air at the small touch.

Turning his eyes back down to where his hand was patiently waiting, he slowly and hesitantly allowing his pointed finger to slip through the slit of her core, his hungry eyes shooting up as she cried out loudly, her back now arching high off the bed. Feeling confidence shoot through him, he spilt her lips with his right hand before allowing his left hand to lightly drag down her wet opening.

"Ah! Steve!" She cried out, her hands gripping the sheets tighter to the point that he wouldn't be surprised if she ripped through them.

"Feel good?" He quirked a brow, realizing what he was doing was something she enjoyed by the sounds coming off of her.

"So good….god, please don't stop." She whispered out of breath, her head rolling back and forth from side to side. Steve bit down into his cheek as he felt his own body react to her words, his shaft perking up quickly. Groaning, he watched his finger slip lower and lower before he gave a small nudge, watching in surprise as his finger disappeared inside her. Skylar's body jerked in his palm, her hips bucking down to meet his hand as she moaned out, her body going ridged.

"Steve….stop, stop, stop." She begged as he looked up worried that he had done something wrong only for her to pull his hand free of her core before yanking him to crawl over her.

"I need you, I won't last that way." She whispered, reaching up to caress his cheek as he looked down at her in a trance.

"Sky….I…." He whispered as she immediately shook her head, leaning up to kiss his lips lightly.

"You'll be fine, it'll be okay, okay?" She ghosted her lips over his briefly before pulling away to meet his eyes. Skylar caressed his cheek once more, spreading her legs further to make room for him before looping her legs around his waist. Steve's eyes shut tightly before a breathy gasp escaped his lips as the tip of his shaft brushed across her wet core.

"I'll be fine. Go on..." She wrapped her arms around his neck, breathing heavily into his neck as she waited for him to move.

"You'll tell me if it hurts, right?" She could hear the strain of control on his voice as she felt one of his hands travel between them to properly position himself at her entrance.

"Of course." She quickly agreed, wiggling her hips, eager to have him buried deep inside her. Steve took in a full lung of breath before he pushed only the head of his shaft into her tight hole. She felt his falter at that and ran her fingers through his hair, kissing his forehead as she whispered sweet nothings into his ear, urging him that she was alright. Hearing her words playing in his ears, he slowly pushed in, with much difficulty as it took some time for Sky to complete adjust to his huge girth.

Once he was buried completely inside of her, Steve pushed up on his arms, glancing down at the pleasure ridden face looking back up at him.

"Are you alright, doll?" He whispered, finding it hard not to buck his hips against her own at how good she felt around him. Her tongue darted out, licking at her chapped lips before she nodded.

"Move your hips Steve. Please." She begged desperately, her own hips bucking up to meet his, sending his mind reeling as he growled as the movement caused his shaft to harden further.

His hands soon found her hips as he pushed himself to sit up, his eyes immediately seeking out the connection between the two of them. Without warning, he slowly pulled his shaft from her tight walls, almost completely out before he shot an experimental thrust forward, completely burying himself deep inside her. Skylar cried out, moaning his name loudly into the room while his head lulled back, loving the way she tightened around every moment he moved.

"Damn Sky." He whispered, his eyes seeking out her own as she bit her lip, her eyes taking a quick scan of his bare torso.

"You're a lot better at this then you give yourself credit for." She whispered with a dazed smile as he chuckled deeply, swinging his hips forward again to meet hers.

Slowly Steve picked up the speed, bucking his hips against hers as Skylar writhed beneath him, begging him to go faster, go harder, to never stop, which had no consideration in doing at this point. She felt too good to stop, he couldn't stop even if he wanted to.

As the moments rolled on, Steve grew more and more confident with his new found knowledge while the pleasure fed that same confidence to push himself out of his comfort zone. Leaning down and wrapping his arms around her waist, he hoisted her off the bed and into his lap as he knelt in the middle of the bed.

"Ride me." He whispered against her throat, groaning out when her fingers scraped through his hair, biting at his scalp in the meantime. Skylar wasted no time, knowing she was moments from exploding around him and immediately began to roll her hips to meet his. Steve groaned loudly, burying his face where her neck met her shoulder and unconsciously bit down into the skin sending her crying out.

Skylar continued to ride him, her breath coming out in short intervals before Steve's hands stopped her movements. He quickly stood with her, her legs naturally being wrapped around his waist before he shoved her against a wall, his hips bucking wildly into her own.

He couldn't control himself any longer. It was almost painful at how hard he was for her. Ever sound that escaped her lips, even the loud growl that emitted from her throat as he pushed her against the wall, everything, sent another wave of pleasure rippling down into his shaft.

With her pinned against the wall, her nails burying themselves into his shoulder blades, Steve didn't hold back and slammed his hips hungrily against her own, his body tightening with every thrust he gave her, feeling her own end quickly approaching with how tight she was growing.

"Steve…..i'm almost…." She breathed out heavily as Steve nodded, pushing his hips faster at her confession.

"Me too sweetheart….me too." He answered back as she groaned out, her legs tightening around his own.

"Let go baby…..let go for me doll." He begged into her ear as he continued to slam his shaft deep inside her, deliciously brushing her g-spot, sending her spiraling over the edge as she screamed his name.

"Steve! Fuck!" She screamed as her orgasm washed over quickly, sending her body convulsing against his as her core quivered and tightened around his engorged shaft. Steve groaned deeply into her neck, his grip on her hips tightening before his hips snapped against hers once more, her name escaping his lips as he finally came undone, his seed coating her walls as he did.

Both stayed put where they were, panting heavily and leaning against each other for support.

"How'd…..How'd I do?" He whispered out of breath, a sheen of sweat having coated his form through their activity. Skylar chuckled through her exhaustion and pecked just under his chin.

"Beautifully."

* * *

 **So, how was it? I'll be honest, I haven't written a smut in a longggggggggggg time. I'm a bit rusty, I even had to have some insight from a close friend about certain things but I hope you all liked it. I would appreciate some insight and reviews on this, how it was, should I do more smut? Anything like that, drop me a review.**

 **Until next Sunday~**


	28. Chapter 28

**Before anything, I needed desperately to address one you beautiful readers that sent me the most lovely review about my previous smut.**

 **Abstract0118, thank you so much for your kind words, I'm really glad that you loved it as much as you did. I was worried that it would be horrible and no one would like it. You were the only review I received so I had to take the time to address you personally. Thank you so much for your support! Your words gave me a push to continue doing smuts the way I did.**

 **Either than that, on to the next chapter. Hope you all enjoy it!**

 **Warning: SMUT**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Marvel or any of it's characters**

* * *

Morning soon came as Steve's eyes slowly fluttered open to the sun peeking through his partially opened curtains. Darn. He had forgotten to make sure they were completely closed the night before. Reaching a hand up to rub at his eyes, rubbing the sleep from them, he froze when an arm tightened around his waist before a beautiful breath blew across his chest. Eyes, now on alert, platinum locks were the first thing that welcomed him from his daze before a giant smile began to grow.

Skylar.

Only one woman had that kind of hair and only one woman would be allowed to sleep with him. He couldn't help the flutter of his heart as the activities from the previous night flooded through his brain and unconsciously down into his groin. Ah, the infamous morning wood, back this morning with a revenge.

Now that he knew what she had been hiding all along, under layers of uniforms and whatnot, his body was already aching to feel her once again.

Curling his arm that laid under her head, around her back to her shoulder blade, he tilted his head slowly, pressing his lips to the crown of her head.

"Hm." She moved slightly in her sleep, enough that she was now cradled between his arm and chest, her face a painting of serenity. Smiling down at her, he ran his free hand across her face, lightly brushing stray locks from her face so that he could stare at her without any interruption.

As soon as her face was free of her wild locks, his eyes immediately began to scan her features, from her long lashes, the point of her nose, the points of her cheek bones before landing on her plump lips.

Those lips.

They had truly been a gift of god, if Steve ever saw something so beautiful.

They had felt beautiful too. His mind decided to remind him, sending him silently groaning in annoyance and frustration as his body worked against him.

Now all he could think about was her luscious lips wrapped around his girth, sucking him completely dry. Oh how wonderful it had felt.

Shutting his eyes, settling his head back into his pillow, attempting to will away the thoughts running through his head, with no such luck it would seem as his groin perked up at attention from under the thin sheet.

Great.

"I could help you with that." A husky voice suddenly yanked him from his thoughts as his eyes shot open and down to the woman in his arms. Perfect hazel eyes met his baby blues before heat shot through him once more at the look playing through her orbs.

"Morning." He whispered, attempting to rid himself of the embarrassment growing between his legs.

Skylar, in all her deliciousness, smirked, pecking the side of his chest before stretching catlike beside him. And right at that moment, his eyes decided to betray him and glance over just as the sheet fell away from her form, showing not only the various marks his lips and fingers had left in its wake, but her bare pale breasts, glowing in the sunlight shining through the still opened curtain.

Dear god.

He wasn't sure if he'd ever be able to hold himself back around her now. Especially after seeing everything that she had been hiding.

Now he completely understood Tony's comment about being a raging horny teenager. Damn that man for being completely right from the start.

Skylar sighed in content, dropping one arm around his chest while the other dropped to the sheets to the left of her. She felt lovely. Rejuvenated. Had sex always felt that way after? Maybe sex that had been building up like teaser trailers for your favorite movie.

Pushing her hair from her face as she smiled, she turned her head to see Steve's wide eyes ogling her. Her eyes darted down in the direction of his and chuckled as she noticed her breasts were on complete view for him.

"See something you like Captain?" She perked up teasingly, rolling onto her side to completely face him, though her arms were now blocking her chest from view.

Steve blinked the sight from his mind, swallowing heavily down his dry throat before meeting her eyes once more. How could one woman be so breathtaking?

Her eyes scanned his own before darting down to the marks she had left on his neck, sending her softly chuckling as she reached out to touch one.

"I see my cousin was right about defacing government property." She teased as Steve smiled, uncaring about her joke as he grasped her wrist, stopping her from pulling away and instead kissed the inside of her wrist.

"You can deface me, any day of the week, doll." He whispered against her wrist with a new found confidence that she hadn't been expecting to see. Her eyes widened, heart thundered slightly before her lips quirked up into a daring smile.

"Defacing you, would be well worth the earful I'm sure we're going to get once we leave your room." She grinned, leaning over to peck his lips lightly, pulling away only slightly to show the mirth playing in her eyes.

"Hearing you scream my name repeatedly will definitely be well worth the jabs I'm sure Stark and Romanoff are patiently waiting to give me." He whispered back against her own lips, his arms unconsciously wrapping around her bare waist, pulling her flush against his side.

Skylar chuckled, ghosting her lips across his own before she pulled her leg up to drape over him only to brush completely across his hard-on that was visibly prominent through the sheet.

At her unconscious touch, Steve let out a hiss of pleasure, his fingers digging deep into her hips as she froze above him. Within a breath, Steve had her on her back, pinned completely under his form.

"I haven't returned the favor that your beautiful lips were so eager to give me last night." He whispered, a bit hesitantly though that confidence that had spurred him on this morning, was still holding strong.

"And which favor would that be?" She teased, wanting to see how far his confidence would go though she felt like her skin was beginning to boil at the aspect of going at it again.

That's when her heart stopped. A shit eating grin plastered it's self onto her super soldiers face and for a split second, she thought she had died and went to heaven. Like, where had that look been this entire time? God damn, if she hadn't seen something so perfect in all her life.

Slowly Steve dropped his head till his breath fanned across her mark littered neck before he whispered.

"I would love it if you'd allowed my lips to inspect you, fully, doll." He whispered huskily, his fingers digging deep into her hips, causing her to sigh out in pleasure, her eyes shutting unconsciously.

"Oh god, yes. Please yes." She had expected to say it out loud as his words traveled down her form and directly into her already soaked core. She wasn't sure where this new found confidence came from, but she was loving it, loving it dearly.

Steve smirked against her neck at her submission to him, the confidence he found earlier that morning, flooding over his nervousness and hesitation to do what he was about to do, for the first time. Swallowing heavily, he trailed his lips down her marked covered neck, to her bare chest, to her toned stomach before his eyes came into contact with her most private area.

He had the pleasure of physically touching her, finding out how soft she indeed was but aside from it all, how wet he had made her from her confession. Just that alone sent his already standing shaft, twitching between his legs.

He gazed down at her core, almost salivating at the sight of her bare skin. He wanted to find out how good she tasted, though he had a theory that he would indeed be addicted once he got a taste of her. It was the same way with her lips and the taste of her skin under his own, she was delicious inside and out.

"You—You don't have to Steve, it's alright." Her breathy voice spoke up, yanking him from his trance as his now dark blue eyes met her blown ones.

"Believe me doll, I want to." He whispered back, that disgusting grin finding its way onto his face.

Before Skylar could reassure she would be alright without him returning the favor, though she would be lying if she had, Steve's face was quickly buried between her thighs, his tongue reaching out and taking an experimental brush between her slit. Skylar gasped loudly at the touch, her body reacting quickly as her back arched off the bed.

"Shit!" She breathed out in pleasure, Steve's eyes growing hungrily as her taste filled his mouth.

He was right.

She was delicious.

And just like that, Steve attacked the junction between her legs, all mouth and tongue like a man starved for days. Skylar's eyes widened in surprise, her hands shooting down to grip at his short blonde hair as her end didn't hesitate to quickly sneak up on her.

Dear god, she tasted beautiful. He licked her lips with his tongue, groaning as he enclosed his lips around her clit, sucking heavily as he watched her breath heavily above him, her body convulsing at his touch.

"Feel good doll?" His snarky remark allowed her to peel her eyes open before growled down at him, noticing him smirking proudly up at him.

"Put that mouth to good use, would ya Cap?" She spat back, jokingly as he snickered, giving her a mock salute.

"Gladly." He answered before his face was once more buried deep within her folds.

Skylar screamed, cried out, clawed out and most of all, moaned his name loudly and repeatedly, having not felt herself so sensitive before Steve and his beautiful tongue. Tears were beginning to well up in her eyes with how good it felt before she called out his name.

"Steve! I'm…..i'm." Of course, any sense of speech was completely out the window when he slipped his tongue deep inside her, growling as her taste coated his tongue.

"Cum for me baby. Come on doll." Steve's tongue slipped from her tight hole as he licked his lips hungrily before going back to sucking, almost painfully tight around her sensitive nub, sending her quickly careening over the edge. Her back shot off the bed as she screamed his name, her hips fighting against the hold he had on them as they tried to buck wildly against his viciously lapping. Arching her back off the bed, continuing to loudly moan his name and various incoherent words, neither one of them seemed to noticed the various electronics in the room flickering uncontrollably, till the lamp in the corner of the room exploded.

Skylar screamed in surprise, her hands going over her face to protect herself while Steve shot up in his half dazed form, his eyes shooting around for danger only to find his lamp fizzing from the broken light fixture. Muscles rippling as he turned to look at Skylar's form still panting in the middle of his bed, he easily put one and one together before he leaned over, gently pulling her arms from her face.

"We're gonna need to work on your control doll. Can't have you destroying all the lights in the room." He smirked down at her confused eyes before realization seemed to set in. First she turned the light on the night before and now, after her mind-blowing orgasm, she sent his lamp exploding. Dear god, what a way to go out with a bang.

Sighing, she pushed her hair from her face before finally noticing the slick moisture that coated her super soldier's lips and chin. Groaning, she pushed herself up, grabbing his cheeks to stop him from pulling away and pressed his lips to hers.

"Jesus that is so hot baby. You're a mess." She whispered against his lips, sticking her tongue to brush her wetness from his chin, tasting herself on her tongue.

"What can I say? You were too delicious." He answered back sending her eyes flashing back up to his before her lips crashed back against his own.

This man was going to be the death of her sooner or later. She had literally awoken a side of him that she had never seen and by gods, she was happy she had done it.

Their mouths fought for dominance before she used her lower half, wrapping her legs around his waist before twisting them so she was now straddling him. Steve pulled away from her lips in surprise, his swollen lips quirking up at her causing her to snort.

"That mouth of yours is going to be the end of me." She teased, leaning down far enough to bring his bottom lip between her teeth. She pulled back teasingly, before letting his lip go, watching as his eyes rolled into the back of his head.

"My mouth, what about yours?" He quickly retorted, his hand shooting out to grasp her chin, stopping her from pulling away.

"These lips. Sinful." He proudly added, taking a nip at her top lip sending her core quivering beneath her.

"Lay back soldier." She pushed him away, though playfully, she was getting more and more frustrated with how turned on he was making her with just speaking. Oh lord, he was never allowed to find out what his words did to her. If he knew, she would die, literally die. She met his eyes, and instantly, she knew he knew. A blush flushed across her skin and down her neck to her bare chest before she quickly busied herself with adjusting in his lap.

"You like it when I talk to you like that, don't you doll?" He quirked a challenging brow causing her to groan in frustration that he was quick enough to pick that up.

"Shut up." She hissed, wanting to get off the subject and hope to get him to forget as she reached between them, grasping his shaft tightly in her fist.

"Doll!" He yelled in surprise and pleasure as her hand only tightened around his still engorged shaft.

"I don't know where this confidence came from but you're going to kill me if you keep talking…." She began to ramble as she positioned him at her entrance, watching as he was about to open his mouth and retort, she quickly slammed her hips down, instantly swallowing him.

Steve's eyes rolled back into his head as his hands painfully gripped her hips tightly in his hands, his body convulsing at the pleasure. Skylar groaned at the feeling of being full before she placed her hands on his chest and began to roll back and forth on him.

Like the previous night, their room was filled with groans, moans and the sound of sweaty skin slapping together. Skylar panted heavily above him, her mind swimming as she fought to keep the rhythm going above him. Seeing that she was struggling to keep up, Steve took the opportunity and flipped them over, ignoring her whine of disapproval and snapped his hips hungrily into hers.

Skylar screamed, her legs tightening around his waist, pulling him deeper as she continued to climb before spilling over the edge.

"Steve! Yes! Don't stop! Harder!" She began to shout as her orgasm exploded without warning, yanking Steve into his own as his hips snapped even quicker against her own, her name being repeated over and over into her neck where his face was buried.

Slowly coming down from their high, both participant panting heavily, Skylar was the first to move as she reached up, brushing his hair back from his face, allowing her to peck his forehead lovingly.

"I don't think I'll ever get used to this." Steve whispered into her neck, lightly pecking it as he pulled out before rolling onto his back beside her, pulling her smaller form against his side.

"I think I'd be worried if you were used to it. Nothing to look forward to." She winked up at him jokingly as he grinned, pecking her forehead.

* * *

After a slight wrestle of naked bodies, Skylar had finally accomplished pushing him out of the bed and into his shower. She wrapped herself in his sheets before slowly pulling herself from his empty bed. She couldn't stop herself from giggling when she tripped over the end of the long sheet, barely catching herself on the nightstand as she made her way towards the balcony doors.

When last had she been this happy? She couldn't remember.

But she was enjoying it, a lot. The feeling of floating, the feeling of nothing could go wrong, the feeling of never being able to stop smiling. She loved it all. And she wanted more.

Pulling the curtains open, she took in the view of mid-day New York and smiled. After waking up a few hours ago, they had gone at it a few more times before randomly wrestling until she convinced him to shower for the day. He had suggested they shower together, but having gone more rounds than she could count with a super soldier, she felt like her body needed a break, no matter how much she had wanted to join him.

She smiled again. He had been so innocent and hesitant last night only to wake up and feel like a completely changed man. The confident side of him in the bedroom, was a definite turn on. She wasn't sure how long she could go without him now.

"Ms. Stark." Friday's voice startled her as her eyes widened in surprise.

"Yes Friday?" She answered, unconsciously pulling the sheet tighter around her form.

"Ms. Romanoff would like me to inform you that everyone's presence is being requested in the conference room." Friday added striking her confused as she turned to face the room.

"For what Friday?" She asked, wondering if they were going to banter both her and Steve about their late night escapades.

"Ms. Romanoff has found information on Ex-agent Collins and would like to speak about a possible mission to retract said man." Friday explained as Skylar's eyes widened just as the bathroom door opened, showing a half dressed Steve with a towel over his shoulder.

He smiled over at the vision of her naked and wrapped only his sheet before his smile dropped at the look on her face.

"Doll, what is it?" He instantly dropped the towel, making his way to her side of the room.

"Thank you Friday. We'll be there." She answered as Steve stepped up in front of her, his hands engulfing her cheeks.

"What is it doll?" He looked at her worried as she sighed, shutting her eyes before reaching up to rest her hands on his massive forearms.

"Nat found Collins and is gathering everyone for a mission." She answered, opening her eyes to see the anger and determination in his stare. His hands dropped to her hips before he pulled her flush against him.

"Is there anything else?" He pulled out his Captain voice as she stared up at his dark blue eyes.

"No. Just that. We should go meet the group." She answered, slightly turned on by the way he used his Captain voice on her. And just like before, he must have caught on to her reaction as the corner of his lips quirked.

"It's 'yes sir' to you, doll." His hand grabbed her chin again, bringing it up to almost reach his lips. She instantly groaned at his words and shut her eyes, silently praying to calm down, knowing they had a room full of people waiting for them.

"Stop." She whined desperately as he finally smiled, pecking her lips lovingly.

"Shower and change doll. We have things to do today." He whispered against her lips, crashing his lips to hers briefly before pulling away with a proud smile as he watched her swollen lips part.

"Go on. I'll wait." He gave her a gentle shove towards the bathroom, going as far as slapping her ass, smiling when she squealed in surprise.

"Geez. Calm your horse. I'm going. I'm going." She stuck her tongue at him playfully before ducking into the bathroom.

As soon as she was out of sight, Steve's smile disappeared as he marched over, grabbing his Stark phone. Dialing a 3 digit code before pressing the phone to his ears.

"What do we have?" His hard voice asked as Nat's voice answered.

"Well good morning to you too. How was your night? I'm assuming it went well since no one has seen either one of you since last night." Nat's voice teased as Steve's eyes hardened.

"Romanoff." Steve warned in a low voice as the line went quiet.

"We have a lead on Collins location but Rumlow is still out there." Her voice took a on serious note as he plopped down onto the edge of his bed.

"Where?" He instantly asked as he stared across at the wall that both him and Skylar had been pinned to the night previous.

"Germany."

* * *

 **How was it? I haven't been getting any reviews lately, worried ya'll aren't enjoying it at all.**

 **R & R**

 **Until next Sunday~**


	29. Chapter 29

**So, had to work and update this chapter a bit earlier than usual. My little bro is moving home today so I knew I'd be busy all weekend, helping him move back and get settled.**

 **But hope you all like it. Getting back into the movement of the plot. Have great plans for where this is going and yes, it will lead into Civil War sooner or later. We need to bring Bucky into the mix lol I love me some Sergeant Barnes.**

 **Anyways, hope you enjoy the update.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Marvel or its characters.**

* * *

Thank you to the beautiful artwork her super soldier was so proud to leave, it looked like that only thing she could dress in was a turtle neck, sleeveless top that she had left a while back in Steve's closet. Sure, she would have painted an entire can of foundation all over her neck and chest, but that would entitle her having to parade all the way back up to her shared floor with Tony. God forbid that man see the Caps artwork.

"You alright in here doll?" Steve's head peeked in front behind the bathroom door as she looked up from her toothbrush, immediately smiling at his innocence.

"Fine, just trying to find a way to cover your 'beautiful artwork'." She teased, turning her half-dressed form to face him. She hadn't had a chance to slip her shirt on just yet as she had just found it in his attached closet.

Steve's eyes grew wide at the sight of her breasts being confined in her black lacy bra from the night before, before shooting down to the various marks he had left all over her form. Bite marks, hickies and light bruises left by his fingers, he stepped in worried, his hands reaching out before freezing an inch from her skin.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry doll." He whispered in concern as she snorted.

"Babe, it's not painful, if it were, you'd feel it too." She teased, tapping a few of the ones she could see peeking out from the collar of his tight shirt. He blushed at the realization, clearing his throat before averting his eyes.

"As I was saying before, the only thing I can do to hide it till after the meeting is wear that top I found in your closet." She turned back to the sink, gesturing with her head towards the top that was hanging off the counter corner before going back to washing her face.

"Isn't it a bit hot to be wearing something like that?" Steve hadn't completely caught on, causing her to snort in amusement as she dried her face.

"Obviously, but it's either that or attempting to gather patience for the earful I'm sure we're going to get. On that note, you should put a hoodie on or something. At least until I can get my makeup bag from upstairs." She chuckled as she watched him through the mirror as he stepped up behind her, wrapping his bulging arms around her small waist, his chin resting on her shoulder.

"Don't worry about me doll. I heal fast." He teased causing her to pout playfully.

"And here I was hoping to enjoy the sight of my marks all over you." She teased, laughing when she noticed the bright blush crossing his pale features before he quickly composed himself at record speed.

"Sorry doll, but I'll be enjoying it for you." He pecked the side of her neck before pulling away to head into his closet for said hoodie.

"Bastard." She muttered with playful eyes, shamelessly watching his backside in his form fitting jeans.

"I can feel your eyes on me doll!" He shouted from inside the closet sending her laughing from inside her blouse as she pulled it down, adjusting her to hide everything from sight.

"Can you blame me?! Your ass in jeans is like a god given blessing." She called back, slipping her platinum hair into a messy bun before noticing his head peek out from the closet.

"Language doll." He scolded halfheartedly sending her cackling.

"You're showing your true age old man!" She called back, slipping back into the bedroom to beginning pulling his soiled sheets from his mattress, rolling them up and tossing them into his empty laundry basket for later.

"I thought you liked older men." His voice answered from behind her as she turned to see him pulling a black hoodie over his white shirt.

"Oh, I do." She nodded in agreement, smiling as he approached her, ignoring the nagging of the new found information Nat had given him earlier. Shaking the worried feeling biting at his insides, he slipped his hand up her neck and into her hair, pulling her gently against him. He smiled, pressing his lips to hers for a moment before pulling away, resting his forehead on her own.

"I'm enjoying this new found confidence in you." She whispered in confession, yanking her eyes from his pink lips to his blue crinkled eyes.

"I can see that." He added proudly, loving the effect he was having on her.

"And as much as I'm enjoying this, the team is waiting for us." She had to remind him, sending that familiar thump of anxiety through him. He sighed, shutting his eyes, just wanting to marinate in this moment before he nodded in defeat.

They knew where Collins was. Even if it wasn't Rumlow, who Steve wanted desperately to bring in, Collins may have information on both Rumlow and Bucky. Meeting her eyes again, he melted at the soft smile playing across her features. Maybe he'd find out if Collins had a hand in taking the most important thing from him all those months ago. And if he found out that man had a hand in taking Skylar, he would make him pay, no matter what Fury's order was.

"Let's go doll."

* * *

For the first time snice the previous afternoon, Steve and Sky finally emerged from his locked floor and into the awaiting elevator.

"Conference room Friday." Steve ordered, his hand slipping to Sky's free one sending her smiling stupidly at him.

"Yes Captain Rogers." Friday answered as Sky grinned, leaning into his chest.

"Captain." She wiggled her brows teasingly as he snorted, a smirk growing across his features as he wrapped his free arm around her small waist.

"Don't get me started doll. We have things to do." Steve scolded playfully.

"I do not know what you are referring to." She answered innocently, teasingly pushing her form against his hard one, her heart fluttering as his eyes shut, a groan crawling up his throat.

"You'll be the death of me doll, especially since I know what you've been hiding under this." He whispered huskily, not bringing up the faded scars he had noticed throughout the night, instead reaching to give a playful tug at her top.

"You're artwork?" She quirked a challenging brow in his direction.

"No, but on that subject, I don't mind leaving even more artwork." He slipped a hand lower, grasping her backside suddenly, sending her squealing.

 _Ding_

The sound of the elevator arriving at their needed floor, pulled them apart faster than they realized possible. Steve smirked down at her amused, giving her back end a playful pat before he stepped out, head held tall as he began strolling towards the Avengers assigned conference room. Skylar shook her head, quickly following after him, making sure whenever she had view of her reflection, to adjust her collar high enough to hide any hint to their late night activities.

"Well, well, well. Look who finally decided to join us." A voice yanked her from her thoughts as she looked down the conference table to where her cousin was sitting just to the right of the head chair. She sighed, a headache already growing at the thought running through her cousins mind.

"Don't piss me off so early in the morning Tony. You'll regret it." She muttered, quickly finding her way to the free seat beside Steve.

"Good night?" Sam quirked a brow from the seat just across her as she narrowed her eyes.

"Sam." Steve warned as Sam grinned.

"What? I'm just asking about your date. Romanoff told me." Sam gestured to the woman silently smirking from the seat beside him.

"Date? What date?" Tony and Clint perked up, having not heard anything about a date.

"I sent them out last night, they both needed it with the shit they've been going through. And before you get all 'papa bear' protective, it was on the same block as the Tower and they were well-prepared." Natasha cut her cousin off before grinning brightly over at Sky.

"So….how was it?" She quirked a brow as Bruce gently tapped Nat, silently telling her to mind her own business.

"So? Germany!" Steve shouted, trying to pull the attention away from him and Sky.

"What's with the turtleneck? It's a little warm to…." Sam pointed out amused before Tony's eyes widened.

"Oh my god! Tell me you didn't take my words to heart!? Is that why Friday locked down Capsicles floor last night!" Tony's voice took on a whole other level of shrill as he shot out of his seat, marching over and basically ripping the collar of her top down, showcasing the various hickies left by the Captain himself.

"Jesus! Cap too!" Clint shouted from the opposite of Cap as he pulled the hoodie away from the man's pale neck.

"Is anyone else as proud as I am that Cap finally got laid?!" Sam shout out of his seat, ecstatically throwing his hand in the air. Nat's hand immediately shot into the air after Sam's hand, the two laughing as they high fived everyone.

"Tony. Back off. Barton." Steve shoved Tony away before whacking Clint's hand gently away from his collar.

"You either tell me what the hell we were called up here for, or I'm leaving." Skylar hissed, narrowing her eyes dangerously in Tony's direction causing the lights above them to flicker just slightly.

"Alright, alright. I'm done. Geez. Can't even allow me the grace of being the responsible adult." Tony muttered under his breath as he walked over to his laptop.

"Pfft….responsible adult my ass." Skylar retorted under her breath as Tony's eyes shot up, obviously hearing her.

"Language little lady." Tony teased, smirking proudly over at Steve's unamused glance.

"Tony…" Sky warned, pushing herself to stand if Steve hadn't grabbed her elbow to stop her.

"Stark. Speak." Steve warned this time, his voice getting hard. Tony couldn't help the proud smirk that crossed his features at the realization that no matter how much time passed, he could still push their buttons. Chuckling he plopped down at the head of the table, typing something into the screen that popped up, immediately allowing Fury's face to pop up on a separate screen against the ceiling to floor glass window.

"Well it's about time. Nice of you to join us Cap, Agent Stark." Fury addressed the room that quickly quieted down as the former head of SHEILD spoke. Skylar sighed at the man's words, rubbing her forehead of the growing headache before glancing back at the dark-skinned man unamused.

"Collins, sir." Steve probed carefully, knowing that Skylar was growing more and more annoyed with the run around.

Fury pursed his lips before nodding, gesturing over to Natasha who nodded, standing from her seat before approaching the screen Tony had tinkered with to pull up Fury. She faced the room, moving the screen into the glass top of the table.

"We've received countless leads of HYDRA being sighted in Germany." Nat began, her eyes briefly flashing up to Skylar, who was already intently watching her. Steve slipped his hand off the table and into her hand, giving her a gentle squeeze of comfort.

"We were able to retrieve CCTV surveillance video and photos from a German airport along with a few street corners." She added, typing into the screen, allowing various photos to pop up in front of everyone, showing not only a suspicious group of people, but a very obvious Collins strolling through.

"He's out in plain sight." Clint muttered at one of the photos, pointing out the fact that in this particular photo, it showed Collins standing in the open in front of a busy marketplace.

"He's not even hiding." Sam added back dumbfounded.

"He's waiting. He's waiting to be caught." Steve added with a deep voice of determination, unconsciously pulling Sky's hand up to peck the back of her hand causing Tony to gag from down the table.

"As Cap has pointed out, it would seem that Collins is waiting for someone to catch him." Fury agreed from the screen.

"It's a trap then." Vision answered simply.

"It would seem so. Which leads us to another photo that shows him meeting a man dressed in head to toe armor with a white skull and cross." Natasha continued, pulling up said photo as Skylar's eyes shot over to the photo.

"Crossbones." Skylar mentioned, recognizing the outfit from her time in Hydra.

"Crossbones?" Steve whispered down to her confused as she sighed, shutting her eyes briefly.

"While I was in HYDRA, I met this man, countless times." She explained, staring down at her lap, already feeling the concern and empathetic eyes on her.

"Who is he?" Wanda asked over carefully as Sky lifted her eyes to meet hers.

"I never saw the man under the mask, he never even spoke to me. But the guards there would talk about him a lot saying he was one of the remaining leaders of HYDRA, aside from whoever is now running HYDRA." She explained to the best of her ability, suddenly feeling nauseous at the flashback of that dark place.

"And you are sure this is the man?" Fury then inquired as she took another look at the slightly fuzzy photo, nodding.

"It's him. The white skull cross on his face and chest is a giveaway, unless all bad guys are dressing like this now." She answered, unconsciously making a joke that didn't put a smile on anyone's face, not even her own.

"Is there anything else you can tell us Agent? Anything regarding either man." Fury then addressed Skylar head on as she met the dark-skinned man's eyes. She squeezed Steve's hand momentarily before shaking her head.

"No. Like I said, I didn't speak to either of these men while captive." She answered softly as Fury sighed and nodded, completely believing her.

"What's the plan then? If this is a trap, we're gonna need to go in with guns hot." Clint added with confidence as everyone nodded from around the room.

Fury set out the plan bluntly while Natasha pulled up a holographic diagram of the building they had traced Collins back to. Everyone sat intently, watching as Natasha pointed to various points of the building, and assigning people to do various jobs,

"What about Sky? Is she not coming with us?" Wanda quickly asked once the group was paired of selected for specific areas. Skylar turned her eyes from the screen in front of her, smiling over at her newest friend.

"It has come to my attention that she is not fully healed or capable of completely controlling her 'enhancements'. I see it as a safer option to keep Agent Stark back at the Tower for the time being." Fury's voice rang through her head as she quickly casted her eyes down, slightly guilty but in agreement with what the man said.

"Sorry kid, bosses orders." Tony's voice added as she nodded, feeling Steve's hand tighten on her own. Lifting her eyes, she met the concerned ones of Steve and smiled softly.

"I suggest leaving someone back with Skylar, as a precaution." Clint was the one to add on to the man's words though Steve wasn't completely surprised. The man did beat him to the chase after all.

"If this is some sort of trap and it is a diversion to get to Skylar, its best be prepared for the worst." Clint added seriously, his right hand tapping along the glass of the table.

Steve sat up at the option and nodded in agreement.

"Barton's right, if this is a trap, the diversion would be for Skylar. I'm not about to ship out and leave her here to fend for herself." Steve added, almost daring Fury to tell him otherwise.

"Well, we can't leave you here Cap, we need you with us." Nat added back, completely understanding the seriousness behind the two men's worry.

"Then, who do we leave?" Sam asked, his eyes glancing around in wonder while Sky sighed.

"I'd be completely capable of protecting myself." She answered, feeling a bit ticked off that everyone felt she was this fragile thing but a bigger part of her completely understood their worry. From where she was sitting, their theory was believable.

"I will stay back with Ms. Stark." A voice suddenly spoke as all eyes shot down the table to the Android who had been silently sitting through the entire meeting.

Wanda couldn't fight the small smile that played across her face while Sam patted the androids arm in thanks.

"You sure big guy? We could use you on this mission." Tony called back from the head of the table, everyone's eyes turning to the billionaire.

"No, you need him on this mission, we could be walking into more than we can handle. I'll stay with Sky." Clint quickly brushed off the Androids offer, teasingly winking over at Sky who only snorted in amusement.

* * *

Once that was settled and everyone had agreed, Cap announced they would be shooting off within the hour. He didn't want to wait any longer, he wanted to catch this guy and have him locked up some dark. But at the same time, he couldn't fight the anxiety growing in the pit of his belly at the thought of leaving her thousands of miles away. If this was really a trap, he couldn't help but wonder if they would be able to swing back in case something did happen.

"You're overthinking things." A voice yanked him from his thoughts as he turned from watching Skylar silently conversing with Fury through the screen to the red head standing beside him.

"Not overthinking, worrying. If this is a trap, I'm worried we won't get back in time." Steve sighed, rubbing a hand up and down his face in frustration.

"We've got everything planned Cap. If something happens, if they even step one foot on American soil, we'll know immediately." She placed a comforting hand on his shoulder before disappearing from sight.

He turned his eyes back to the woman nodding her head to the screen before turning away as Fury's face disappeared.

"Everything okay doll?" He asked, holding his hand out for hers as she naturally placed hers into his.

"Yeah, he just wanted to be sure that I'd be okay." She answered as they slipped out of the empty conference room and towards the elevator.

"That's all he asked? I assumed he was the type to ask for your kidneys and first born sacrifices." Steve joked causing her to snort before laughing. He smiled, the happy look on her face melting his insides as he turned, pressing a loving kiss to her forehead.

"No, though I wouldn't be surprised he asked that later on in life. He just wanted to be sure that I understood why I was being held back. It's not like I'm 5. I understand that I am a liability especially to you guys and chances are that I may lose control." She sighed out in defeat, resting her head on his shoulder.

"Believe me doll, you're far from a liability, you just need some time to further understand your abilities." He whispered against her temple, pecking it once more.

* * *

An hour later, Skylar was silently watching from the Avengers quinjet as each member suited up and began loading the jet with needed weapons.

"Mad you can't go?" A voice spoke from beside her as she glance over unamused, knowing that voice anywhere.

"Maybe, you?" She quirked a brow in his direction as he sighed, never pulling his eyes from the guys walking in an out of the back of the jet.

"Maybe." He added, smiling down at her as she rolled her eyes and turned back just as Steve approached, dressed to the nines in his Captain America suit.

Porn. Pure porn if she ever seen it. Now knowing what he hid under said suit, it just made it that much hotter to see him prancing around in it.

"Thanks Barton for staying back. I appreciate it." Steve addressed Clint first once he was close enough to the pair.

"Sure man. I care about Sky too, you know. Don't have to ask me twice." Clint playfully poked though Sky could easily pick out the hidden message behind his words. Ignoring it, she smiled at the two shook hands before Clint was called over by Nat.

Watching her friend walk away, she turned to the super soldier as she felt his form hover closer to hers.

"You gonna be okay doll?" His Brooklyn accent peeked out causing her to smile, reaching out to his utility belt, giving it a playful tug towards her. He grunted at the movement, his eyes darkening ever so slightly.

"I'll be fine soldier. You keep yourself in check for me. Don't do anything stupid while you're out. I'll be waiting for you." She teased him further, giving his belt a harder tug till he was completely flushed against her. He let out a soft groan, tilting his head down to meet her lips for a chaste kiss.

"You'll be the end of me doll." He whispered huskily against her lips as she chuckled.

"Good way to go, don't you think?" He quirked back as he grinned, pecking her lips once more.

"Oh good god, get a room! Actually, scratch that….you two get a room and we'll never leave." A voice gagged as they trotted past towards the jet. Sky snorted, immediately noticing her cousin's sarcasm. She pecked Steve's lips once more before pulling away finally.

"I love you doll." He smiled down at her reassuringly as she chuckled and nodded.

"I love ya too Cap. Kick some ass for me, would ya?" She joked as he grinned, giving her a mock salute.

"Yes ma'am." He began to walk backwards, his eyes giving a brief up and down of her form before finally turning away to jog up the platform and into the back of the jet.

Slowly the smile that had been plastered to her face in the presence of her super soldier, melted away as the platform at the back of the jet shut, before it slowly began to slip out of the hanger and into the air, out of sight.

"We'll be fine Sky. Friday's got the whole building on lock down." Clint spoke from beside her as she sighed and nodded, believing it to her a certain extent though something inside of her was nagging at her nerves.

Something was off.

* * *

 **And there's the next update.**

 **To be quiet honest, for some time now I was juggling the plot back and forth, unsure which way to go, which plot I wanted to incorporate into my story, but I think I might have found what I was looking for. I hope lol**

 **Hope you all enjoyed it!**

 **See you next weekend!**


	30. Chapter 30

**So…..lots happened this week and weekend lol**

 **I had completely planned on updating on time, like I always have. Got home from a little stay-cation with my brother and my little family, practically fell out the front door going to put laundry in the wash, tripped over a shoe that was left in front of the door, rolled my ankle and sprawled across the garage. All happened within 5 seconds.**

 **Safe to say, I felt my ankle pop (sprain) and began screaming curses at the top of my lung at the dumbass who thought it was a good idea to leave their crap everywhere. (Excuse my language) but I'm pissed beyond reason cause I have to work tomorrow and now I'm limping around and can already feel the headache brewing with how difficult work is gonna be with a minor sprained ankle -_-**

 **Anyways, on the bright side, 99% of this chapter was typed up in advance, I just had to tweek a few things and add somethings, but it's done. The first draft I did, I hated it soooooooooooo much. It didn't go in the direction I needed it to go and I trashed it almost immediately. But I'm happy with this one, thank goodness.**

 **Hope you all enjoy it! A bit more action and plot movement going!**

 **Oh! And before I forget, there is a bit of Russian in here, I put the translations at the end of each piece. Also, I went ahead and tried out a German accent, which was an interesting experience lol**

NOTE:

Sky's Dimension Travel: **BOLD** / _Italic_

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Marvel or it's characters.**

* * *

Sometime after the team had left, Clint had suggested sitting around the command center Tony and Nat had set up in the conference room. Upon walking in, Skylar was struck surprised briefly at how far her cousin had gone just so the two could keep in contact with the group while the plan was set into movement. Gaping shortly, she followed Clint to the front seats of the long table, both taking a seat while watching each screen closely.

"Enable voice communication Friday." Clint commanded, as he pulled up a hidden keyboard from the top of the table, typing in a few things.

"Yes Agent Barton." Friday's voice answered while Sky's eyes scanned each screen. One screen held each members vitals, which was healthy and strong, thank goodness. Another showed a diagram of the missions building plans, everything from tech work, infrared, and surrounding grounds. Another showed the camera feed for the inside of the quinjet that sent the corner of her lip twitching ever so slightly when her super soldier came into frame. The second to the last screen showed the quinjets coordinates while the last screen showed the various security feeds for the Avengers Tower.

Soon enough, the voices of her friends and family echoed through the soundproof conference room causing her to sit up just a bit straighter.

"Would ya stop pacing like that? Making me nervous." Sam's voice was the first one to come up as she turned back to the screen of her friends, smiling softly when she noticed Steve pacing behind Tony and Nat's seats at the head of the jet.

Steve sighed out, no one realizing they the pair stuck at the tower were now listening in.

"I can't help it. This entire thing doesn't feel right." Steve let out his frustration, adjusting the straps across his chest.

"Maybe we should have waited a few more days till Sky was healed. That way she could have joined us." Wanda quickly defended Steve who looked at her gratefully.

"We can't wait for Collins or Rumlow to hit up another Disease Center. We need to bring one of them in, it's not only Skylar at danger, but the rest of the world too." Natasha's hard voice spoke through the room causing a few hard glares directed at the back of her head.

"I care about Skylar just as much as any of you, but you all know, if Skylar were here, she'd agree with me. The world's safety is top priority." Natasha added, her fingers dancing around the controls while Skylar sighed.

"She's right you know. Don't worry about me. Whatever Collins and Rumlow has up their sleeves, it's nothing good." Skylar finally spoke up as Clint briefly glanced over at her from beside her.

Everyone in the jet, excluding Nat who had immediately known the pair were tapped into the group's conversation from the get go, were caught off guard by the females voice echoing through the tin bird.

"Spying on us now? That's low." Sam teased as Skylar snorted, sitting a bit more carefully in her seat.

"Nat knew we were listening in." She stuck her tongue out at the screen, knowing they couldn't see her as Steve's eyes turned in the direction of the camera.

"Any movement on your side?" Steve spoke, standing before approaching closer to the camera.

"No Cap, all quiet here." Clint answered, going through the various cameras and infrared sensors for the Tower.

"The minute something happens, don't hesitate….." Steve added back a bit more forcefully as Clint nodded.

"Got the plan Cap, nothing's getting in here without me knowing." Clint added back with an equal amount of confidence sending Skylar's heart fluttering at her friend's attention towards her safety.

"Keep her away from my scotch collection will ya Clint." Tony's snarky voice interrupted the peaceful interaction as she glared at her cousin.

"Keep Tony away from water Nat, can't have that giant coke can rusting on the job." She spat back sending Clint and Sam barking in laughter while a small smile began to grow on Steve's face.

"Excuse me miss! You're just jealous of my suit!" Tony barked back, slightly peeved at the jab his cousin sent his way.

"Yeah, because I've always wanted to march around like a mini-transformer." She muttered under her breath, sending Clint laughing again while Tony rolled his eyes.

"See, it's reasons like this why I like your cousin over you dude." Sam teased Tony who only snorted under his breath. Skylar smiled before noticing that the jet was now officially leaving the states and now heading over the Atlantic Ocean.

* * *

"Rest Sky, you look exhausted." Clint's voice pulled her from her one sided staring contest with the video feed a few minutes later.

Blinking back the daze, she pulled her eyes over to Clint who hadn't pulled his own away from the screens.

Well, now that he pointed it out, she was tired, especially after the night she had. That super soldier serum of Steve's technically meant that man never got tired which was a god given gift yet a pain in the ass for her when she couldn't keep up any longer. She grinned before turning back to the screen, pulling her feet onto the table in front of her.

"I'm fine for now." She teased, leaning back in her seat, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Long night?" Clint teased back lightheartedly as she rolled her eyes over to meet his again.

"Don't get started Bird Boy, I know you're not asking about my sleep schedule." She joked as he snorted, shaking his head, going back to the screen.

She chuckled, leaning her head back against the headrest before sighing in content. If this mission went off without a hitch and nothing unplanned happened, she would be forever grateful, but really, who was she kidding?

* * *

Half an hour into their travels, Steve turned back to the camera and smiled.

"How's things going Barton? Any updates?" He asked as Clint looked up from the screen projected across the table then to the security cameras for the tower.

"Nothing new Cap. Still quiet as ever." He answered, briefly glancing across the table at Skylar, not surprised to see her silently sleeping in the chair she had been perched in.

"Doll? How you holding up?" Cap then addressed her as Clint chuckled.

"Seems like you wore her out Cap. Sky's out cold." Clint teased causing Steve to blush brightly while the other members in the jet snickered.

"Ugh! Can we not talk about Cap and my cousins sexual escapades. She defaced government property, technically she should be locked up." Tony barked in disgust sending Nat laughing from beside him.

"I'm a person, not government property." Steve muttered annoyed as Tony glanced at him from over his shoulder.

"Sorry to point it out Cap but everything in you and on you is basically government property." Tony shrugged innocently, turning away before noticing the heavy glare set in his direction.

"Anyways, let us know if even the smallest hitch comes up." Steve wanted to quickly changed the subject and that's exactly what he did.

"I will."

* * *

A few minutes later….

She hadn't realized she had fallen asleep before her eyes slowly fluttered open to a dully lit conference room. Blinking a few times, she stretched in her seat, hearing that familiar squeak before slowly pushing herself to sit up.

 _ **Her eyes fluttered around the room, still half asleep to see that something was off.**_

 _ **Where was Clint?**_

 _ **Heart slowly beginning to thump louder and louder in her chest, her gaze shot around the room in a panic as her grip tightened on the arm rests of her chair.**_

 _ **"C-clint?" She whispered, pushing herself to stand, her eyes glued to the now opened door of the conference room. She remembered, Clint had shut and locked that door the moment they had stepped in, per Steve's insistence. But now, it was wide open and the hallway just beyond it was dark.**_

 _ **Swallowing heavily at the eerie feeling flooding her system, she headed towards the window, her eyes never leaving the door, afraid something was going to jump through said door and at her.**_

 _ **"Clint. It's not funny anymore." She was beginning to tell herself that this was all a prank, that Clint was being his joking self, wanting to lighten the mood just a bit.**_

 _ **Her hands finally landed on the cold surface of the ceiling to floor window, she quickly gazed over her shoulder, her fears coming to life when she recognized the bone structures of New York, only even present in her dreams.**_

 _ **That's when her fears were put to life.**_

 _ **She was in the afterlife.**_

 _ **"Funny? No, Fräulein." A sly voice suddenly spoke from the darkness as her eyes shot over in time to see a brief reflection of a short man approaching. Her insides shook in fear and frustration as the German immediately settled in her mind.**_

 _ **"Dr. Zola." She whispered in horror as the short man emerged from the darkness and into the room before her.**_

 _ **Sky quickly planted herself against the window, wanting nothing more than for it to swallow her whole as soon as she saw the man that entered behind said scientist.**_

 _ **"Hello my dear, we meet again." Her uncles sickening voice echoed as bile quickly rose to her throat.**_

 _ **"Back so soon?" He tilted his head mockingly in her direction.**_

 _ **"Ve've been vaiting for you Fräulein, for quite some time." Zola answered, adjusting his glasses.**_

 _ **"And it vould seem zat you recognize me zis time around." He added proudly, slowly turning and making his way around the table.**_

 _ **"W-what do you want?" He whispered, her body freezing up on itself only causing him to chuckle.**_

 _ **"A message vould do for now." He stopped a few feet from her while her uncle shot to her side in a blink of an eye, his arms wrapped tightly around her waist and neck, holding her in place as she thrashed.**_

 _ **"Let me go! You bastard!" She snapped, only pushing him to hold her even tighter against him.**_

 _ **"And miss the fun, no way. I owe you for blowing me through the window last time we met." He whispered softly into her ear causing her to jerk her head away from his touch, wanting to bash his skull in.**_

 _ **"It has come to my attention zat you have not only escaped zee hands of my descendants but also landed in zee hands of zee fery man voo sent me to zis time." Dr. Zola's eyes grew hard as she turned her eyes from her uncle to the shorter man now standing in front of her.**_

 _ **"Captain Steve Rogers. You're countries Golden Boy." He laughed mockingly while shaking his head.**_

 _ **"No more zan a man used by science to create something beautiful." Dr. Zola spat unamused.**_

 _ **"Something zat I have vaited too long to get my hands on." He muttered angered this time.**_

 _ **"And you weren't grateful enough for what you did to Barnes? You created your own version of the serum!" She hissed this time, only growing more and more angered by the way he was speaking of Steve. Dr. Zola met her eyes and laughed.**_

 _ **"My greatest and yet my most disappointing creation. He vas meant to lead a nation vith Hydra at zee vheel, but like all other things I hold dear, zat Captain of yours could never seem to keep his nose vere it does not belong." Dr. Zola scoffed in annoyance, turning to the table in front of him.**_

 _ **"He was his friend, his best friend! You can't think that Steve would have kept silent with Bucky in the picture!" She snapped back as Dr. Zola laughed and turned to face her amused.**_

 _ **"And you didn't zink I had planned for zis all to happen long ago? He yelled for the Captain to help him zee first moment I ran across the Sergeant. From zere, I planned to turn his biggest veakness against him and it vorked perfectly, for 70 years. " Dr. Zola commented proudly, intertwining his hands behind his back.**_

 _ **"And you failed, terribly. Bucky freed himself, freed his mind from you and your pack of cheerleaders. You've lost." Skylar couldn't stop the suddenly flood of pride that flowed through her at that thought. But she was struck confused when Dr. Zola began to laugh, almost amused at her.**_

 _ **"Ah, Fräulein. You still have so much to learn." He tsked, approaching her with a proud smile.**_

 _ **"His greatest veakness is no longer zee Sergeant." Dr. Zola explained slowly as Sky's heart dropped into her stomach.**_

 _ **"No." She whispered in horror as his smile grew wider and wider.**_

 _ **"It is you, Fräulein. You vill be the Captains downfall and you vill lead HYDRA into zee future. Vhat better vay zan to use the only bridge between vorlds." He laughed manically while her uncle laughed along with him.**_

 _ **"You vill bring all fallen HYDRA followers into zee present vhere vee vill rise and destroy your beloved Avengers. Vee vill hold zee vorld accountable for zeir choices against us and kill zose vho go against our future plans. It'll be you. You vill be zee one to kill the one man zat I despise over everything else." He whispered, taking another step towards her as tears began to swell in her eyes.**_

 _ **"Tell them we're coming, whether they are ready or not. This world has not seen the last of us yet." Her uncle whispered in her ear proudly, pecking the shell of her ear as she cried out in fear, panic coursing through her form.**_

 _ **"Go. Do vhat you have been created to do. You vill return soon enough. Bye bye Fräulein."**_

* * *

Pain at the inside of her elbow sent her screaming in pain, her vision failing as she shot out of her seat, her pained and panicked violet eyes shooting around the conference room.

Clint having not expected the sudden scream or movement of the female, shot to his feet, his bow at the ready for whatever danger was out to get her. At the same time, the group in the jet, miles away, reacted to the familiar sound of her screaming. Steve launched himself across the jet and to the screen that was now projecting what was happening in the conference room back home.

"CLINT! SKY!" Steve shouted, patting Nat anything but gently on the shoulder, silently pushing her to figure out what the hell was happening while Tony was already turning the jet around and back towards the Tower.

Clint's eyes panned the room for danger, his ears completely ignoring the shouting from his team mates before his eyes landed on Sky who was now standing stalk still against the opposite wall, her violet eyes staring hard at him.

Violet.

Rigid form.

No sense of familiarity.

"Skylar, you're okay." Clint whispered in desperation, already realizing what was happening to her.

She forgot him, again.

Slowly, he lowered his bow to the table and took a step back, his hands in the air in show of friends.

"I'm not going to hurt you Sky. You're alright. You're safe here." He added back, silently pleading with his eyes for her to show even the slightest bit of recognition.

"BARTON!" Steve yelled through the room as Sky's eyes shot over to the computer screens, her violet eyes taking in the various screens before they fizzed, sparked and then completely exploded.

Clint stepped back in surprise as various broken tech went flying across the room in the explosion, each piece completely avoiding Sky at all costs.

"Ms. Stark, Agent Barton. The Captain…." Friday's voice soon followed the explosion as Sky's eyes shot up to the ceiling in defense, Friday's voice quickly going distorted before completely cutting out.

Clint took a step towards her, wanting nothing more than to plead for his friend back only for Sky's hand to shoot out, throwing him into the wall with enough force to knock him out. Watching emotionless as he fell to the ground in a ball, her head whipped to the door where it shot open, slamming against the wall.

In strode a group of men, guns at the ready as she slowly held her hand up, ready to attack before a familiar face stepped out of sight.

"Солдат?" Collins heavy set voice asked in hesitation as recognition set in Skylar's violet eyes. Slowly she lowered her head when her mind recognized her superior before she stood at attention. ( **Soldier** )

"Готовый подчиняться." She answered in monotone, sending a happy grin across his scruffy face. ( **Ready to comply** )

"Perfect." He gestured for everyone to put their guns down before nudging his head towards the fallen Avenger.

"Tie him up." He commanded as the men nodded, doing as they were told.

"We have work to do." Collins approached Sky, watching as her blank eyes stared at him emotionless.

"Disconnect Starks Tower, reroute all security feed and Stark intel into our hands." Collins stood before Sky, commanding her as he grabbed a tablet being held out for him to take.

"We don't want the others attempting to get in till we are done with what we have set out to do." Collins added, typing a few things into the tablet before holding it out for her. Sky's violet eyes slowly panned down to the tablet before her, until the sound of shuffling beside her, caught her attention. She lifted her head, eyes casting away to the opposite side of the room in time to see a trio of soldiers dragging the unconscious man to his feet, hauling him into the nearest chair, anything but gently.

"Солдат." Collins barked at her, yanking her attention from the unknown man she had threw earlier to his annoyed glare. ( **Soldier** )

"Сделайте, поскольку Вам говорили." He barked again, shoving the tablet at her as she casted her now angry eyes at him. Forcefully fighting the rage to knock her superior out, knowing that it would end with her in the torture chair again, she took the tablet before nodding. ( **Do as you were told** )

Her eyes narrowed as she watched her superior march across the room and towards the still unconscious man. Clutching the tablet in her hands, she couldn't help the sudden wave of familiarity that flooded through her system briefly as one of the men yanked the unconscious man's head up right.

Sky winced when pain shot up her arm and into her head, her eyes shooting down to the imprint still burnt into the bend of her elbow, her previous thought on familiarity now long gone and forgotten as her mind reeled in the realization of her superiors command.

Infiltrate Stark Tower. Retrieve Stark Intel on Avengers. End Avengers.

* * *

 **So, how was it? Hope it alright, I'd love to hear your opinions.**

 **Until next week~**


	31. Chapter 31

**This chapter is just…ugh. I don't know haha I haven't had the best week thus far. My dog, that I've had since she was 2 weeks old, is sick and getting worse and worse. And naturally, I can't help but blame myself 10x over for not paying more attention to her and her needs. So you could say, my week has been absolutely terrible. But going along with my promise, I will post every week unless I am dying, nothing will hold me back though it may not be my best update, though its long lol**

 **Enjoy~**

 **NOTE: bold/** _italic :_ _ **Memories**_

 **Disclaimer; I do not own Marvel or its characters.**

* * *

Steve grew livid the longer it took to get to the Tower. He couldn't hear Tony shouting at Friday or any of his tech to answer him as the pounding in his ears grew louder and louder. Sam had attempted to step up to the super soldier and place a calming hand on his shoulder, but surprisingly enough, Steve had to fight the urge not to go swinging at the most random thing that would set him off. It scared him, this feeling of absolute dread, of absolute helplessness after hearing Clint shouting at Sky before the line went dead. What set his heart in motion further was when Stark had announced he lost any connection with Stark Tower, most likely due to Sky herself.

They had lost her again. But god so help him, he would not let HYDRA take her from him. Even if he had to go down swinging for his girl, he would, till the ends of the earth.

"2 minutes out." Nat's steady voice announced through the eerie silence that settled over the jet.

"What's the plan Cap?" Sam then stepped up again, knowing he was treading on thin ice with the tight grip Steve currently had on his shield.

"We get her out, at all costs." He commanded, his hard eyes never looking away from the view of New York City approaching the front of the jet.

"I suggest an actual plan Captain Rogers, as not to go in blind." Vision had spoken for the first time from beside Wanda who looked equally shaken up.

"Vi's right. We can't go in swinging and hoping for the best." Nat added her own comment from the front of the jet causing Steve to sigh, letting some of the tension ripple off his shoulders before he shut his eyes, trying to collect even a sliver of common sense and rationality.

"Alright." He answered in defeat, immediately looking over to Sam who nodded.

"Now, if my guess is right, Sky most likely is in her 'HYDRA' phase right now which means if any of us run at her, even with good intentions, there is a good chance she'll hand us our asses before we even get a chance to breath." Sam explained seriously as Tony scoffed at the realization that, indeed, his cousin would have no problem dismantling them one by one.

"They would use her against us, it is what HYDRA does." Wanda added sadly as Sam sighed, glancing over at Steve briefly before nodding.

"It is what HYDRA does, so what do we do to retaliate?" Sam then asked, looking around for any opinions from the others.

"Assuming that HYDRA works this way, they would hold Skylar somewhere where she could be easily used against us yet far enough way that we wouldn't be able to reach her." Bruce muttered in thought for the first time, his mind racking up anything that could help.

"They've shut me off from the Towers intel and security feed, we're going in dark and we have no one on the inside." Tony spoke up bitterly wanting to chew through Fury for making the team leave her there.

"Technically we have someone on the inside." Nat added back, mentioning Clint who they had momentarily contact with before the feed cut.

"Assuming he is still alive." Sam offhanded added back ignoring the glare sent his way from the assassin.

"You think they would kill him?" Wanda then asked softly, her heart breaking for the man who had taken her in after her brothers passing.

"It is possible at this point. They only need Sky alive to draw us in." Steve seethed in his own corner of the jet, his eyes hard and set on the metal floor beneath his feet.

"No, I would assume HYDRA would need a backup plan if something with Ms. Stark happened. They would need something to fall back on that would still draw us to them." Vision added back seriously catching everyone's attention.

"They would think Sky might gain some sort of access to her conscious mind and keep Barton has a Plan B." Sam agreed with a nod.

"Then what do we do?" Tony spun in his chair to face the rest of the group while Nat continued to fly the jet.

"We come at all angles. Distract where we can." Sam added back with a new sense of confidence.

"Wanda." Steve suddenly remembered something as he addressed the Scarlett Witch.

"You've been training her with all her abilities, is there anyway we can get back inside her, get our Skylar out?" Steve looked at her desperately as Wanda's eyes lifted to meet his. She stared at him briefly before her eyes widened in sudden realization.

She could get inside.

She knew a way inside Skylar's mind.

"I know a way in. Get me close enough." She stood from her seat beside Vision, her eyes hard in determination.

* * *

 ** _"_ _You think you can pull me back in?" Skylar blinked in surprise at her friend's proposal. Wanda chuckled and nodded, looking at Vision for some sort of backup._**

 ** _"_ _It is our assumption that even while in your trance, there is a still a small part of your consciousness that is hiding. That small part, though tiny in size compared to the darkness HYDRA had inputted in you, if accessed, it is strong enough to pull through and return you back to us." Vision explained what he and Wanda had been brainstorming since they had first learned about Skylar's happenings with forgetting who she was from time to time._**

 ** _"_ _What Vi is trying to say is, if I can feed that small part of you, one of your memories, your strongest memory, it might be strong enough to bring you back." Wanda smiled upon noticing the look of relief on Skylar's face._**

 ** _"_ _You think that'll work?" Skylar asked almost excitedly sending the pair sitting across from her, smiling._**

 ** _"_ _It is worth a try." Vision smiled as best as he knew._**

* * *

"Sir, incoming jet approaching." One of the HYDRA personnel announced into the newly taken over conference room for the Avengers.

Collins growled, marching over from his spot near the window and to the computer that was set up and connected to international satellites, all thanks to Skylar's input. Watching the green blimp of an oncoming jet, closely approaching the building from the Atlantic Ocean.

"Avengers." He muttered under his breath annoyed, his eyes flashing over to Clint who was now bound and gagged to the chair in the far corner, furthest away from the window.

"It would seem that your friends have finally arrived." He scoffed annoyed as Clint thrashed in his seat.

Collins smirked, turning his eyes in the opposite direction to the silent woman still standing, her eyes panning outside the ceiling to floor windows.

"It's time." He muttered to himself, pushing himself to stand as he called out to her.

"Солдат." He called out to her, watching proudly as she immediately turned her blank violet eyes to him. (SOLDIER)

"Это – время." He commanded as her violet eyes narrowed before nodding. (IT'S TIME)

Turning her attention to the team waiting for a command, she spoke, commanding them to follow her. But before she could make it to the door, the squeaking of the tires belonging to the unknown man's computer chair along with his muffled yelling, caught her attention. She stopped, slowly turning her violet eyes to meet his desperate ones as he shook his head viciously.

"No, Sky. Don't. Their family. Your friends. Your boyfriend. You love them. Remember?" She could barely make out the words the man was shouting through the waded up ball of cloth her superior had shoved in the man's mouth earlier. The edge of her eye twitched as something flashed through her mind before quickly disappearing as fast as it had appeared.

"Shut him up!" Collin's screeched when he noticed the small effect it was having on their female asset. One of the men that had been flanking her, marched over and hit him hard in the stomach with the butt of his gun. Clint groaned loudly, his head lulling forward in pain.

"Go! You know the plan!" Collin shouted at her this time as she forcefully pulled her eyes from the groaning man and back towards the doorway they had been heading out.

"Следуйте за мной." She commanded the group quickly before disappearing down the hall to put her superiors plan to action. (FOLLOW ME)

Stall and kill Avengers.

* * *

When the Tower had finally come into view just a mile from their current location, everyone held their breath at the strange sight of the now darkened Tower. Tony felt a lump grow in his stomach at the sight and the thought of his cousin somewhere lost inside while Steve was fighting to hold in the bile that was threatening to rise up through his throat.

"You all know the plan." Steve's voice was eerily calm as his eyes hardened the closer they got to the building.

Whoever was in charge, whoever had taken Skylar from him once again, would pay.

But before they could get close enough in attempt to dock the jet, the alarms and signals of the jet all began to go off at the same time before it began to shoot back and forth without any control. Everyone screamed and yelled in surprise as they were tossed back and forth from the haywire jet before it began to suddenly plunge towards the packed streets below.

"GET OUT! NOW!" Steve shouted, strapping his shield to his back quickly before jumping out the now open latch, uncaring that he had no parachute to catch him.

Luckily for him, most of the people present could fly and Sam caught him before he had gotten too close to the ground below while Vision easily caught the rampaging jet before it could crash land into the busy streets.

"What the hell was that?!" Sam shouted over the gush of air that ran past him as the group collected themselves on a nearby building across from Stark Tower.

"Sky." Nat whispered in realization from beside a now pissed off Hulk who had been moments from diving into the dark building with a killing intent had it not been for Nat's quick thinking into a lullaby. As for now the only thing holding the Hulk from killing every soul in that building was the soft touch of Tasha on his bicep.

Everyone turned their eyes towards the building to the see the familiar sight of violet eyes and platinum silver hair blowing in the wind from the open bay doors leading to the jet's hanger. The sight alone sent the group silently seething in frustration and pain for their lost friend before Steve took a step forward, wanting nothing more to run over and pull her back into his arms, even if she fought him.

"No Cap, you can't." Wanda quickly grabbed the Cap's forearm, stopping him from making another step towards the building.

"I can't leave her there, not again. I won't let them take her again." Steve whispered broken hearted as the team easily felt the guilt from their first attack.

"We're not going to leave her there Cap. We have a plan remember?" Nat attempted to lighten the mood though it did nothing of the sort.

"Stick to the plan, get witchy poo as close to Sky as we can. Sam, Nat, Banner and I, will take care of the others hiding out." Tony's robotic voice began as his thrusters shot on, his metal form now floating as he shot into the sky and into the opposite direction, going for a surprise entrance on the opposite side of the building.

"Good Luck." Sam nodded to the trio that was stationed to stay back, the other three took off in different directions as not to give off their plan.

"Are you ready Wanda?" Vision then asked softly as the younger female sighed softly before nodding.

"We'll get her back Captain, I know we will." She then promised the Captain who turned to look down at her with a new found hope.

"I know we will." He answered softly, though it didn't sound even the least bit convincing.

"Let's go." Vision stepped up to the ledge of the building, a force field forming easily around the trio before Steve stepped up to Wanda's side.

"You will be alright to carry me? I have been told I weight more than I look." Steve commented sending Wanda chuckling as she looked him up and down briefly.

"Have some faith in me Cap. I'm a strong girl." She teased back, feeling a bit better as she noticed the corners of his lips quirk slightly.

Wanda quickly surrounded Cap in her magic, allowing the pair to easily float off the ground before the trio shot across the large opening and towards the still open hanger.

Seeing them approaching her, Skylar made a quick gesture with her hand as the men that had followed her, quickly got into place as she stepped back into hiding.

The 3 landed with ease, Vision kept his field up around them, already sensing the many men surrounding them.

"There are about a dozen men, heavily armed Captain Rogers." Vision admitted, his eyes narrowed as he took in their surroundings.

"I know." Steve answered, pulling his shield off his back and at the ready while Wanda struck her fighting pose.

"Skylar is hiding somewhere close by, but she is no longer in the hanger." Wanda added, her mind sweeping the floor to find Skylar's exact location only for it to cut off the moment Skylar had felt the attachment.

"She can sense me looking for her. She is still on this floor." Wanda shook the slight numbing from her mind before glaring around the men now stepping out from the shadows.

"We can't do much till we deal with these guys." Steve commented back as Wanda nodded.

"I will deal with this bunch. You two must get to Ms. Stark quickly." Vision surprised the two who turned to him shocked.

"No, Vi…." Wanda made to disagree and rant only for the android to smile softly and shake his head.

"I will be alright, my dear. Do not worry for me. We must get to Ms. Skylar before anything else happens." Vision took a surprising step towards Wanda who craned her head back to meet his eyes.

"I will be right behind you." He made to reassure her though she could not ignore the nagging feeling in her belly.

"Go." He nudged his head towards Steve who was also looking at him warily.

"But…." She made her last attempted to put her foot down only to be struck speechless as the androids cold lips landed on her forehead.

"Go, I promise I will be alright." His eyes shone with something she was not used to seeing through his eyes. The look made her heart beat loudly in her ears before she felt Cap's large hand encase hers.

"Take care of yourself. We'll meet you on the inside." Steve couldn't stop the small smile that played on his lips at the androids show of affection for the young woman and nodded his head towards Vision.

Vision nodded back, his eyes meeting Wanda's once more before turning to face the group of men.

"Go." Vision commanded one last time, an explosion of light erupting from his very form, giving the pair enough of a distraction to make a run for it and further into the building.

* * *

Skylar silently waited in the large empty training room that had been built just opposite of the jet hanger, knowing they knew where she was. Perching herself in the far corner of the room, her violet eyes glowing as she watched the only entrance and exit to this particular room.

Eliminate them. At all costs. Her superior's voice continued to echo through her head from the last conversation she had with the man. She had one mission and one mission only.

She was to dispose of those that were a threat to HYDRA and their mission.

The Avengers.

As Sky sat there, silently waiting for the pair that she could feel approaching, her mind felt like it was constantly going through the blender the longer she stayed in this unknown building. She didn't know why but seeing as it was her first time in this building, she found it weird that she knew her way around like the back of her hand. Places that even her superiors hadn't known about, she had found with ease. Like this training room, or what she assumed was a training room of some sort from the scorch marks and large dents that littered the walls of the room. Collins hadn't known about it till she had surprised him and pointed it out on the building's floor plans.

This room was then marked as her battleground.

"Are you sure she went this way?" She suddenly heard a male voice whispered from the hallway that led to the dimly lit training room and crouched further out of sight.

"I can feel her." A female voice spoke softly as Skylar shook that same buzzing feeling from the back of her head. Something or someone was attempting to get inside her head and she was having none of that.

Before long, the two finally stepped into view, the female before the male causing her smirk dangerously from her spot. Not wasting another minute, she shot her hand out just as the woman spun on her heels to face her, barely attempting to dodge the large crate that was directed at her.

Having sensed it later than she had liked, Wanda barely dodged the large crate that came barreling at her from across the room, nipping her shoulder and sending her flying towards the floor, rolling in pain. Having no time to react, Steve spun to face the direction of their attacker, his shield up and at the ready as Skylar came screaming at him, her foot making contact with his shield before she flipped back and away from him.

Steve quickly rolled back and to Wanda's side, instantly checking on the woman that claimed she was alright before the two stood, facing off with the woman.

"Sky." Wanda carefully addressed the crazed woman, wanting to test how far her consciousness went.

Skylar directed her eyes at the woman addressing her and growled.

"I'm not Sky." She growled threateningly, electricity beginning to fizz and pop from the various light fixtures that littered the room.

"Doll, you know us. You know me." Steve begged her, seeing the look of unfamiliarity flash through her face as she glared at him.

"I don't know you, I know Captain America, the man I am missioned to kill." She hissed out, almost completely shattering Steve's heart at her words.

"She doesn't mean it Cap, remember, that's not Sky talking." Wanda had to quickly remind Steve, seeing the look of hope slowly wilting away in his features.

"Remember the plan, distract her, I'll try to get in her head." Wanda then whispered, having not time to waste as Skylar quickly shot towards Steve, the intent to kill evident on her face as she swung her leg around at the last moment, making contact with his side. Steve shouted in surprise and pain, barely reacting in time to hold his shield up to protect him as best from the onslaught of electricity that she drained from the tech in the room. He bit the inside of his lip, holding his shield tightly in front of him as sparks of electricity licked at him from all sides.

Suddenly, something appeared beneath him and in his range of view as Skylar slid between his legs, swinging her legs around to take him to the ground quickly. Having no choice but to distract her as best as he could, Steve hesitantly fought back against the woman he loved, not enough to hurt her but enough to distract her from Wanda creeping in the background.

The shield was knocked from his grasp as she displayed Nat's favorite move, wrapping her thighs around his neck before swinging with all her weight, pulling him to the ground beneath her. She swung her fist down, intent on knocking the daylights out of him only for him to catch her fist, using her small form to roll them to the side, pressing her back into the ground as he pinned her down.

"Skylar! That is enough!" He barked down at her, hoping that he could somehow get through to her.

Skylar squirmed and grunted from beneath him before a look of pure amusement flooded her features. Steve hadn't felt pure fear till then when his vision blackened before a sight all too familiar flooded his mind. The sight of Bucky screaming for him to help him only for him to fall to his assumed death in the valley below.

Steve couldn't help but scream and cry out, his hands shooting up and to his head, fighting against the visions that were now haunting the forefront of his mind. Skylar smirked proudly, pulling her leg up before kicking him off of her as she rolled a few feet away.

"Too easy." She whispered proudly as she continued to feed the man his worst fears which unintentionally led into him watching as Skylar was continuously tortured and experimented on.

Slowly Skylar pulled the gun from its hiding place in the back of her pants before aiming it at the man writhing in front of her. This was far too easy.

Her finger made to pull the trigger before pain shot up her form and into her head. She screamed, the gun clattering loudly to the ground as she collapsed to her knees, her hands pinned tightly to her temples. What the hell was going on?! She squeezed her eyes tightly together, attempting to will the pain away only to cause it to heighten further.

 ** _"_** ** _Come here doll." A voice chuckled before warmth engulfed her small form sending her heart thumping loudly._**

The feeling and brief look at a vision she wasn't sure was hers, brushing through her consciousness before she forced it out.

"You know us Skylar. This is not you." Another voice entered her mind as she suddenly realized that the man had not come alone. The witch was with him.

 ** _Laughter and love before face after face crossed her mind, each smiling and laughing with her._**

 ** _"_** ** _Hey! Birdboy! Nice face!" She yelled down the hall behind her, breaking out in a run while throwing her head back laughing when she watched as a man sprinted out of a room down the hallway, black drawings of various vulgar things on his face._**

 ** _"_** ** _You're dead sky!" He yelled running after her as she sprinted away, squealing and screaming in laughter._**

No.

"I DON'T KNOW YOU!" She screamed, using her telepathy to swing out at the woman using her abilities on her. It didn't help her much as Wanda continued to dig deeper into her consciousness, finding the small sliver of hope. What was left the lights around the room, fizzed and popped as she continued to scream her denial at the witch messing with her head.

 ** _"_** ** _Love you kid." A man with a goatee teased sending her snorting as she laughed._**

 ** _"_** ** _Don't try to butter me up genius, I'm not one of your centerfolds." She teased back, watching the way that same man's face paled in disgust._**

 ** _"_** ** _Dear god! I'm just telling my cousin I love her and she immediately has to make it so perverted. Seriously?! Who are you hanging around? I'm gonna kick their ass when I find them! Their disgusting ways are rubbing off on you!" He screeching causing her to roll her eyes._**

 ** _"_** ** _Get started then." She waved at him amused as he blinked in confusion, still huffing and puffing._**

 ** _"_** ** _Get started with what?" He asked confused as she smirked,_**

 ** _"_** ** _Kicking your ass. You're rubbing off on me Tony." She batted her lashes innocently before turning with an amused laugh._**

"You know us, all of us! That man, Captain America, you love him, more than anything." Wanda whispered, grunting as she used a bit more force to penetrate the now writhing woman in front of her.

 _"_ _ **Have I ever told you how much I love you doll?" A deep voice whispered from beside her as she turned her eyes to meet the baby blues of the man she had just attacked a few moments before.**_

 ** _"_** ** _Hm, not sure." She tapped her chin innocently, her eyes twinkling in mirth as the man chuckled, pecking the side of her head._**

 ** _"_** ** _You mean the world to me Sky. More than you could know." He whispered, pecking the side of her neck this time, sending a familiar yet unfamiliar tingle down her form._**

 ** _"_** ** _Do you tell all your girls that?" She teased, giggling when his gruff brushed a ticklish area._**

 ** _"_** ** _Only the gorgeous ones sweetheart." He teased back, blowing a raspberry against her neck._**

"No. I. Don't." Skylar fought out against the pain while Steve slowly peeled himself from the ground after finally clawing his way through his nightmares.

"You do and I'm going to help you remember." Wanda whispered a promise, shutting her eyes as she forced herself further into her mind, finally finding that small piece she needed.

"There you are." Wanda whispered with a relieved smile before sighing out as she allowed Skylar's happiest memory to flood her mind.

Steve watched in pain as the woman he loved screamed at the top of her lungs as her body thrashed on the ground before stilling. Wanda was panting heavily as she crumbled to the ground on her hands and knees just beside the now unconscious woman.

"Wanda. Sky." Steve yanked himself from the ground with a little trouble before wobbling over to the two.

"I'm fine. We're fine." Wanda held her hand up in reassurance as Steve collapsed just beside Skylar, already reaching out to pull her head into his lap just as Vision came flying into the room. Meeting the AI's eyes, Wanda smiled softly before collapsing as Vision shot over, barely catching her before her head made contact with the ground.

"It is over Captain Rogers. Mr. Stark and Ms. Romanoff have Agent Collins in custody and have cleared the Tower of HYDRA personnel." Vision whispered, pulling the red hair woman into his arms before glancing over at the silent soldier kneeling on the ground just a few feet from him.

"This is far from over." Steve whispered with a heart full of determination as his eyes continued to stare at the woman lying in his arms.

This was far from over.

* * *

 **So there it is. Pretty long huh? I'm surprised I wrote this much.**

 **I'd love to hear from ya'll. R &R**

 **See ya next week~**


	32. Chapter 32

**SO, this chapter is short lol short haha**

 **I've had too much on my mind lately for there to be any room for brain storming. This was about as far as my mind got before I decided a filler chapter was needed.**

 **I still hope you enjoy it, even just a little.**

 **Bold/** _italics: **memories**_

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Marvel or its characters.**

* * *

2 weeks later….

Skylar's mind had been through a blender that night, according to Wanda, who had woken up from her unconscious state just the day after the battle of the Tower. The witch had explained to the group that Skylar's mind had fought to gain control of herself with Wanda's help before the HYDRA part of her dissipated into the darkness. Whether that meant she was free from HYDRA or not, was not to be seen just yet.

Skylar was set in the hospital wing of the still standing tower, under constant surveillance which usually consisted of every member fighting to be next. Each and every one of them held a similar guilt into what had happened to Skylar, Clint and Steve mainly.

Whether you told them or not, neither Steve nor Clint left the woman's bedside since they had placed her up there. Even with Clint's arm now in a sling and a few bruises coating the super soldiers usual pale complexion, they weren't moving a foot outside that room unless absolutely necessary.

And as luck would have it, their one eyed friend had heard about the happenings and arrived at the building in record time only for Tony to scream and threaten the dark-skinned man about disbanding the Avengers after what he had put them through. It had been that man's idea to leave Skylar back while most of them had agreed that it had obviously been a trap.

Sure enough, Fury had opened his mouth and attempted to wriggle his way out of the blame before a shocking appearance from their resident demi-god, sent the man through a wall in pain with promise that a lot more was waiting for him once he gained consciousness.

That led into explanations from everyone as the demi-god shouted for word on what had happened while he was gone. As he had been seeking assistance from his brother nonetheless, he had by chance took a break from begging his brother for answers to check in on his earth friends through Heimdall. What he was told was not what had been expecting.

He traveled back to Earth as soon as he could.

Once everything had calmed down and Thor was completely filled in to what had happened, Natasha, had taken the opportunity to interrogate one of the very men they had been hunting for. At first the man refused to open his mouth and instead took the beating that was being lashed out by Natasha. As days passed and her beatings got more and more creative that it left him on the brink of death every time, she wasn't sure how much longer he would last her tortures before succumbing to them.

But as of now, the only info they had on what HYDRA wanted, was whatever Sky remembered once she woke up.

Sky had instantly realized what had happened the moment her eyes opened to the bedroom she had been placed in to recover. Guilt and regret settled heavily into her stomach as she turned her head to face the large ceiling to floor windows that graced the entire opposite side of the room.

She had done it again.

She had forgotten them, hurt them and almost killed them.

Clint, she had watched as they beat him and tied him up, right in front of her.

Steve.

That specific thought made the bile rise up her throat at the reminded that she had even held a gun out to the man, every intent on shooting him through the head.

Shutting her eyes as she pushed herself to sit up, ignoring the various points of pain that shot through her form, she forced herself up and out of the bed, stumbling a bit. Slowly making her way towards the window, she continued to ignore the pain as she shuffled towards the glass, tears spilling down her face and onto the plain white oversized shirt someone had slipped on her.

She couldn't do this anymore.

She couldn't.

That's when another voice, a familiar voice ran through the back of her mind.

 _"_ _Sky. I'll get you out. Soon. If we don't meet and you escape, remember, Bucharest."_

She had dreamed of Bucky last night, of all people. Well at least she thought it was a dream till she realized it was her memories of her time with HYDRA.

"Bucharest." She whispered to herself, feeling the small movement of her face tug at the stitches in her cheek.

She remembered exactly where Bucky would be once he fled HYDRA. She knew where he was, thanks to the short memory she had received while lying unconscious for 2 weeks.

Sky soon shut her eyes, allowing for the memory to replay through her mind.

* * *

 ** _She sat against the furthest wall, her beaten body barely holding on as is. The usual day in HYDRA. Experiments, yelling, screaming, testing, and more beatings. As sad as it sounded, Skylar was completely used to it. 5 months in this hell hole and it was slowly beginning to feel normal not to feel your limbs._**

 ** _Blowing a stray tangle platinum lock from her face, her violet eyes shot to the cell door as it clanged open. Half expecting the usual guard to come in and kick her around some more, she was mildly surprised to see one of the guards pushing in Bucky before slamming the gate shut behind him. Glaring hard at the bulky man standing just a few feet from her, staring at her blankly. They had put him through the cheese grater again, that was obvious by the look of unfamiliarity running through his eyes as he glared at her from over his mask._**

 ** _Great._**

 ** _She pushed on her arms, wanting to sit up just a bit further from her slanted position only to wince at the pain that shot up her arm. Scoffing, muttering a curse, she turned her head from the assassin and to her arm where there injections had found a constant home in. The burnt skin was festering just on the inside of her elbow from their latest injection._**

 ** _"_** ** _Bastards." She whispered, turning her still violet eyes from her injury to the man standing before her. Why had they sent him in here? What was their purpose this time? If it was a fight they were looking for, they usually sent her to him instead, that way when they were both spent and unconscious, it was easier to separate them without the chance of waking either of them as the medical bay was closer to his accommodations than her own._**

 ** _"_** ** _Barnes." She warned as his eyes hardened a bit by the sound of his last name leaving her lips. Wincing when she tried to move again, she soon realized that her wrist was in shambles by the way it was limply hanging from her arm, the bruising and swelling around the area just further proving her words. Sighing, she stretched her legs out in front of her, the torn pair of pants HYDRA had given her, tugging at the various wounds that were hidden under the cargo material._**

 ** _"_** ** _Did they send you to rough me up again?" She whispered, her eyes peeling themselves away from her pants and to him, a warning glare playing in her violet eyes as the lights of her room flickered. Bucky's eyes momentarily shot to the lights flickering above them before seeking out the woman still slouched in front of him. He couldn't pinpoint it but something inside his mind was screaming at him that he knew this woman, but as soon as he latched onto a blurry memory, it was gone in the wind. Shaking the thoughts from his head, his hard eyes sought hers once more as she allowed her own eyes to calculate what he was going to do. He was dressed to the tees in his uniform along with the many weapons they dressed him for missions._**

 ** _"_** ** _Stand." He commanded as she snorted, glancing over to the cell door where a pair of guards were eagerly watching for anything of interest to happen._**

 ** _"Не_** **_делают_** **_Вы_** **_два_** **_имеете_** **_дату_** **_вашими_** **_руками_** ** _?_** ** _"_** ** _She called out, completely ignoring Bucky_** ** _'_** ** _s command and instead poking at the mentality of the guards on duty. The smiles on their faces dropped before she glared hard at her, their grasps on their weapons tightening. (Don't you two have a date with your hands?)_**

 ** _"Наблюдайте_** **_тот_** **_рот_** **_ваша_** **_шлюха_** ** _!_** ** _"_** ** _One barked as she snorted in amusement. (Watch that mouth of yours whore!)_**

 ** _"Я_** **_нисколько_** **_не_** **_интерес_** **_в_** **_наблюдении_** **_Вас_** ** _,_** ** _парни_** **_исследуют_** **_друг_** **_друга_** **_как_** **_связка_** **_рогатых_** **_подростков_** ** _,_** ** _но_** **_если_** **_Вы_** **_имеете_** **_к_** ** _,_** ** _разрешение_** ** _._** ** _"_** ** _She smirked as one guard shot forward, his hand immediately grabbing for the keys on his hips, wanting nothing more than to beat her senseless. (I'm not at all interest in seeing you guys probe each other like a bunch of horny teens, but if you have to, go ahead)_**

 ** _"_** ** _No, we are under order to let the Asset rough her up." The other one growled forcefully, he also wanting nothing more than to go in and kick her around like he had done many times._**

 ** _"_** ** _Aww. No show?" She tilted her head mockingly before a metal hand to her throat, pulled her from her teasing phase before the back of her head met the cement wall behind her. She winced in pain before her violet eyes met the dark blues of the Winter Soldier._**

 ** _"_** ** _You're a buzz kill, you know that?" She whispered out jokingly, gasping as his metal limb tightened around her neck._**

 ** _"Стенд_** ** _._** ** _"_** ** _His deep voice vibrated through her chest as he pinned her to the wall forcefully. She smiled softly, her teeth coated in blood from an earlier beating before she licked her lips. (Stand)_**

 ** _"Да_** **_сэр_** ** _._** ** _"_** ** _She answered breathlessly, her eyes widening as she used her ability to yank him off of him, throwing him into the cell door across the room. She slumped to the ground, holding her throat as she cough and gasped for any air possible. (Yes sir)_**

 ** _Bucky's form left a large dent in the cell door as the guards yelled for Skylar to stop or they would shoot her. Bucky pried himself off the ground, mild surprise flashing through his eyes at the strength behind the small woman before turning and stopping the men from trying to open the door._**

 ** _"Отпуск_** ** _._** ** _Я_** **_буду_** **_иметь_** **_дело_** **_с_** **_нею_** ** _._** ** _"_** ** _Bucky commanded to the two guards who couldn't do anything but comply against their wills. (Leave. I'll deal with her.)_**

 ** _Continuing to rub her neck, she stared over at Steve's friend as he pulled himself to stand, rolling his mechanical shoulder a bit as he did. Coughing once more, she groaned as she pushed herself onto her rear end, facing him again with a proud smirk. He hadn't had the opportunity of experiencing her newest ability as of yet, telekinesis. She was almost sure this was a test to see how she did against winter soldier with her set of abilities growing by the week._**

 ** _"_** ** _Bucky." She warned as his eyes widened before his brow furrowed, his flesh hand reaching up to hold his forehead._**

 ** _"_** ** _You know that's your name and you know me. Don't let HYDRA control you like they have been doing for the 70 years." She added, staring into his steal grey orbs as he fought against her words._**

 ** _Lucky for her, one of her newest additions was one that she had yet to share with HYDRA and she planned to keep it like that for as long as possible._**

 ** _"_** ** _I'm going to help you Buck, Steve is waiting for us." She whispered the last part, her eyes flashing violet once more as she allowed her mind to enter his own, immediately being welcomed by darkness that seemed to be flooding his consciousness. No. Steve needed him. Shutting her eyes, she concentrated as she heard his heavy boots approach quickly before he halted as she yanked a memory from a photo that Steve had explained to her in extreme detail._**

 ** _She showed him when she had imagined when Steve had told her about their trip to Coney Island by in the 40s before Bucky was enlisted into the military. She let a small smile grace her lips as she remembered Steve whining about throwing up on a ride after eating an extra-large polish dog that Bucky had bought for him. He was embarrassed for days following that as he told her._**

 ** _Slowly peeling her eyes open, she tilted her head back to meet now surprised eyes glancing down at her._**

 ** _"_** ** _Steve." She heard him whisper as tears filled her orbs causing her to smile through the pain rippling through her and nodded._**

 ** _"_** ** _Steve Rogers. Your best friend." She answered as the pain evident on his face flashed quickly through his eyes._**

 ** _"_** ** _Who…who are you?" He whispered this time as she chuckled, hissing as she held her side, a look of concern flashing across his expression._**

 ** _"_** ** _His better half." She jokingly added through blood stained teeth._**

 ** _That had been the day that HYDRA had found out about her ability to tap into minds and feed them what she wanted. Guards were sent into her cell not long after her conversation with Bucky and began beating them both to the ground. It didn't take long for her to be unconscious as she had been moments from it without their help. Bucky screamed at them to stop, begging and pleading for them to stop hurting her and punish him instead. HYDRA never listened to a word you said, they both should have known better._**

 ** _Skylar was thrown back on ice while she screamed and cried out for Steve and surprisingly Bucky who was going through his own sort of pain on the opposite side of the compound._**

 ** _When she was yanked from the ice, they put her against Bucky once more after dragging him from his mind sweep. They fought like always, abilities against pure rage ridden strength. Bruises were earned while limbs were shattered. Skylar groaned as she laid face down on the cement, bleeding from the gash in her forehead while Bucky held his now broken flesh arm along with his detached metal arm. At the beginning he didn't know who this woman was but was rendered impressed with how nimble and well gifted she was. But with a well-calculated hit to the head, a great distraction for her to do her mind tricks on him, he now remembered who she was._**

 ** _Steve's dame._**

 ** _Knowing this would be the last time he saw her as a mission had already been presented to him just that morning, he took a quick look around the cell before stepping closer to her. Attempting to look as if he was going to beat her so more, he gently grabbed her ponytail, making it look a lot more painful than it actually was. His hard eyes gazed around the room as she groaned at the pain in her head._**

 ** _"_** ** _Sky. I'll get you out. Soon. If we don't meet and you escape, remember, Bucharest." He whispered into her ear just as the guards yanked the cell door open, guns drawn at the two of them._**

 ** _She was dragged to the medical bay where she was treated for her injuries before being put back under ice._**

 ** _Weeks following that, she replayed his message over and over in her mind, remembering having heard the guards shouting about losing the Winter Soldier at the Triskelion. Whoever was in charge was obviously pissed with how scared and angry the guards grew. They evacuated the underground hideout and she was flown to Germany where Steve and Tony had found her not long after._**

 ** _Bucky._**

 ** _She knew where he was._**

 ** _"_** ** _Sky. I'll get you out. Soon. If we don't meet and you escape, remember, Bucharest."_**

* * *

Would he still be waiting for her there?

Chances are, he was either waiting or searching for what was left of her.

Hanging her head, she held a hand to her forehead as a headache began to flood her system.

"Ms. Stark." Friday's voice startled her from her thoughts as she pulled her robe closer around her form.

"Yes." She answered emotionlessly, noticing Tony's bots fluttering outside the window, fixing the damage on the building.

"Shall I inform the others of your conscious state?" Friday then asked, her voice slightly contorted, informing Sky that she probably did more damage to the AI then she had first realized.

She was dangerous.

"No. Don't." She shook her head, her eyes going back to the view the room gave.

"Lock down this room Friday. Don't let anyone in without my authorization." She whispered with a blank stare, her eyes staring unblinking.

"Would you like to override sirs authorization, Ms. Stark?" Friday then offered as she nodded.

"Override Authorization. Skylar Anne Stark." She commanded, speaking the needed words before she heard the silent buzz fill the room.

"Override complete."

* * *

Across the world…

A silent man stared at the map laid out in front of him, a lantern his only light as his hard eyes scanned the map. Several areas of Bucharest were crossed out, only a few areas untouched before he crossed off another. He chewed on the inside of his lip, almost drawing blood as his steal colored eyes scanned what was left with determination.

"Where are you?" He whispered roughly to himself, his metal hand clenching beside him.

* * *

 **A bit on the down side for this chapter. My mind wasn't cooperating with the hundred other things currently plaguing me at the moment. But I felt if Skylar were me, I'd close in on myself as she did in this chapter. And yes, I know this chapter isn't as long as I had hoped, but a filler chapter was needed right here and I wanted to incorporate Bucky somewhere soon.**

 **Let me know what you think.**

 **See you next week~**


	33. Chapter 33

**Here's the next chapter in my series. Hope it's alright, I literally wrote it in one day haha too much to do, too little time!**

 **Also, wanted to inform you that I've decided to make this story into a series. The first part of this story, I'll probably end it around 50 chapters, maybe more or less. It will continued on with Civil War after that.**

 **Let me know what you think.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Marvel or its characters.**

* * *

Surprisingly enough, the group hadn't noticed the woman's lock in till Tony and Tash were sent up to deliver the usual dinner to their healing friend. Nat reached down for the handle of the door, turning while pushing at the same time, only for her body to meet an unmoving door. Nat blinked in confusion, looking up and down the piece of wood before trying again.

"Anytime today." Tony groaned annoyed, the shuffle of his feet beside her pulling her glare to him.

"Would you shut up! The doors locked!" Nat spat annoyed, using her shoulder to hit the door this time.

Instantly panic shot through Tony's form as his eyes shot up to the ceiling.

"Friday! Unlock the door!" Tony commanded as the AI quickly answered.

"I am sorry sir. Ms. Stark has used her override and does not want to be bother." Friday quickly answered Tony who had immediately dropped the tray of food, pushing Nat aside to pound on the door.

"Sky! YOU OPEN THIS DOOR RIGHT NOW! DO YOU HEAR ME?!" Tony shouted, kicking and punching the door at the same time.

"Tell Friday to open it!" Nat shouted back at Tony who only rolled his eyes, turning in annoyance to face the woman.

"I can't! Sky did her override, there's nothing I can do!" Tony began pacing back and forth across the hallway, muttering and running his hands through his hair in frustration.

"Just break down the damn door. Get your suit on, do something! This is your goddamn building" Nat spat irritated as Tony snorted, turning to her unamused.

"You know, the last time I did that, she kicked my ass into the infirmary and I couldn't walk properly for 3 months." Tony pointed out, groaning out in frustration.

"Cap isn't going to like this." Nat muttered, staring at the door hard as if it was about to combust into flames.

"Cap? I'm standing here and already I don't like it." Tony whined childishly before turning back to the door, a small part of him understanding why she was locking herself in.

"Friday." Tony addressed, never moving his eyes from the door.

"Yes sir?" Her voice answered as he sighed, rubbing a hand up and down his face in frustration.

"Is Sky alright? Physically? She's not still hurt or dying in there, is she?" His voice grew quieter and quieter as his questions ran on.

"Yes sir. Ms. Stark is physically fine. Her readings are healthy and she is healing as she is supposed to." Friday answered as Tony sighed once more, resting his forehead on the wood.

"If you need us Sky, just know we're here for you. All of us. We're worried about you and don't think for one moment that we blame you for anything that happened. None of it was your fault. Please, let us help you." Nat couldn't help but tilt her head in amusement, seeing this side of Tony rarely.

"Ms. Stark has asked me to inform you sir that she will be alright, she just needs some time to herself." Friday answered for the hidden woman as Tony pushed himself away from the door.

"Ugh, you're killing me Sky!" He shouted overly frustrated, going as far as kicking the door once.

"Whatever, but you're gonna deal with your crazy boyfriend when he finds out about this!" He shouted once more before turning and walking away.

"And you're paying for whatever damage Capsicle goes through to get to you!" He stopped momentarily at the end of the hallway to shout once more at his cousin before disappearing around the corner.

Nat shook her head, sighing once more before turning back to the door.

"No chance you'll open for me?" She asked hopeful only being met by silence through the door.

"Ms. Stark has asked for some time to herself for the time being Ms. Romanoff." Friday instead answered her as she sighed, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know, can't blame me for trying. Sky, you know Cap won't be as understanding as us." She poked once more through the door, knowing she wasn't going to get a physical answer from the woman.

"Ms. Stark says that she knows Captain Rogers will not be and asks for a favor from you Ms. Romanoff. Being present when Captain Rogers does arrive." Friday explained as Nat arched a brow in amusement.

"You want me to be the thing that stops a super soldier from barreling through a door to get to you?" Nat asked both amused and hesitant about being between that.

"Sky, he's not going to let me stand here and not allow him to punch down the door. He's been worried about you. Worried sick! Once he finds out that you are up and fine, he's gonna want to see you. Nothing's going to stop him from doing so." Nat went on to explain to her friend who continued to be barricaded behind the door.

"Ms. Stark says that she does not want to see Captain Rogers for the time being." Friday then added as Nat's eyes widened briefly before realization set in. Wanda had informed the group of what had happened when the pair had run across Skylar in the downstairs training room. It wasn't good, they knew. She had been moments from shooting Steve's head off if Wanda hadn't been there to stop her.

Sighing, she ran a hand through her red hair before stepping even closer to the door.

"Sky, it wasn't your fault. What happened between you, Cap and Wanda was nothing more than HYDRA's brainwashing over you. You had no control over your actions." Natasha explained seriously, knowing that was exactly why Sky had mentioned not wanting to see Steve.

She must have remembered what she had done while under control.

"Ms. Stark says that does not change things, that she had still been moments from shooting Captain Rogers." Friday answered as Nat sighed in frustration, now glaring at the door.

"I swear I just had this conversation with you a few days ago, that night you went on your date with Cap." Nat spat out, annoyed that her friend was once again only thinking about herself when she had never been like that before.

"How do you think Cap feels through all of this? He's not locked up in his room, he's down interrogating that bastard who took you!" Nat now turned to shouting at the door in frustration.

"You never were like this Sky. You weren't the type to roll over and admit defeat so easily, especially with Rogers in the picture. Are you going to let him find HYDRA, let him deal with this problem alone?" Nat scoffed at the thought, shaking her head as she took a calming breath.

"Well, whatever you choose, it's up to you but remember, Steve is just as hurt and as guilty as you are, Sky. I see it, in him each and every day, how much he wishes he could take those 7 months away from you. You blame yourself for something you had no control of but Cap blames himself for not being fast enough to save you from HYDRA taking you in the first place. Let that thought simmer in your mind for a moment and realize just which one of you has been suffering the most through all of this. Step into his shoes, how would you feel?" Nat's voice got quieter and quieter the longer her speech went before it was silent.

Nat knew she had plucked a nerve in her friend and then silent left, hoping what she said would pull her friend from the ditch she was burying herself in.

* * *

Sky on the other hand, silently stared out the window, curled up in the cushioned chair Steve had moved into her room weeks ago. She quietly listened to her friend's words, many things hitting home deep inside of her before the sound of Nat's stomping echoed down the hallway before disappearing.

Once again, she couldn't find it in her to disagree with Nat. Everything she had said was right. Damn that woman for being so observant all the time.

* * *

"Who's running HYDRA?" It was the first question that Steve spat out as he glared at the bloody man chained to the chair in front of him. Collins on the other hand, cackled a bit before lifting his head, his eyes meeting the man standing stalk still in front of him.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" Collins spat teasingly, grinning a blood red smile before spitting a wad of blood onto the floor in front of him.

"Just give me the word Cap, I'll lay one right between his eyes." Clint hissed from the corner of the small room, his bow already up and at the ready.

"Collins, I don't think you realize how close to death you really are. I'm the only one stopping everyone on this team from killing you, slowly." Steve whispered threateningly as his eyes hardened.

"Yeah because I'm sure you want the first hit at me." Collin chuckled softly, wincing at the pain in his ribs.

"Don't tempt me." He hissed back, his grip tightening in fists beside him.

"I'm back! Hi darling!" Nat barged into the room, marching right towards Collins and swiping him across the face hard. Collins head shot to the side before he let out a soft sound of pain as Cap quickly pulled Nat to the side.

"You can't just interrogate people like that Cap, it doesn't work nowadays." Nat pushed him off of her before sighing.

"We don't have time to play 21 questions. We need answers now!" Tony added back annoyed, pushing off the wall he had been leaning against.

"Where is Rumlow? Where are you housed? Who's leading HYDRA now?" Nat gripped Collins by the collar, yanking him viciously causing the chair to squeak under him.

Collins chuckled in amusement, knowing they wouldn't go as far as killing him as he was the only one with answers to questions they needed to be answered.

"Not going to ask me questions about our newest asset?" He perked a brow in amusement, the swollen side of his face twitching in pain at the movement.

The room instantly went quiet at the newest question offered by their prisoner regarding the groups friend and family.

"What did you say?" Steve asked slowly, his blood beginning to boil at the man's amusement towards the woman he loves.

Collins barked in laughter this time, ignoring the pain radiating through his form before Nat dropped him back in his chair, stepping back willingly as Steve grabbed her bicep, pulling her from him.

"HYDRA's newest asset. You would have thought having the infamous Howling Commandoes Bucky Barnes working for us would have been enough? Nah, HYDRA is better than that, we wanted something softer, something easily portrayed as innocent and turned her against herself and those around her. No one would have seen her coming. She's beautiful isn't she? Perfect for the job and just as deadly. If you hadn't taken her when you did, she would have been completely lost to you and HYDRA would be on top of the world once again with your lovely 'doll' leading us." Collins smirked deadly at the Captain standing in front of him.

Steve could only see red as the man continued to talk about Sky like a pawn in HYDRA's plans from the beginning. It was taking everything in him not to jump across the small opening and kill the man.

"You lost your asset, both of them and now we have Skylar back with us. HYDRA has lost, once again. Must suck to always lose huh?" Tony spat back, angered by the man's words as the bloodied man slowly turned an eye on the billionaire.

"You think we've lost? For being some world genius, you are as stupid as they come." Collin commented back with a roll of his only good eye before Tony began marching over.

"No Tony, stop." Sam quickly grabbed the man, stopping him from going any further.

"What do you mean 'think you've lost'? What does HYDRA have planned?" Nat stepped up, seeing as practically every man in the room was seething in anger.

Collins eyes glanced at each of the men present before landing on the only woman in the room.

"Our assets are never truly able to escape us, you'll find that out soon enough." Slowly a smirk began to spread across his face before being met by Cap's shield.

Skylar could never truly escapes HYDRA's grasp.

* * *

The woman in question continued to sit silently in her bedroom, door locked with her form curled up in the same position Nat and Tony had left her in. The memories of that night flashed through her mind constantly like a broken record on repeat, which only upset and further fed her guilt continuously.

It only got worse when she shut her eyes, visions of her dream from that night was what haunted her in that state.

* * *

 ** _"_** ** _And you didn't zink I had planned for zis all to happen long ago? He yelled for the Captain to help him zee first moment I ran across the Sergeant. From zere, I planned to turn his biggest veakness against him and it vorked perfectly, for 70 years. " Dr. Zola commented proudly, intertwining his hands behind his back._**

 ** _"_** ** _And you failed, terribly. Bucky freed himself, freed his mind from you and your pack of cheerleaders. You've lost." Skylar couldn't stop the suddenly flood of pride that flowed through her at that thought. But she was struck confused when Dr. Zola began to laugh, almost amused at her._**

 ** _"_** ** _Ah, Fräulein. You still have so much to learn." He tsked, approaching her with a proud smile._**

 ** _"_** ** _His greatest veakness is no longer zee Sergeant." Dr. Zola explained slowly as Sky's heart dropped into her stomach._**

 ** _"_** ** _No." She whispered in horror as his smile grew wider and wider._**

 ** _"_** ** _It is you, Fräulein. You vill be the Captains downfall and you vill lead HYDRA into zee future. Vhat better vay zan to use the only bridge between vorlds." He laughed manically while her uncle laughed along with him._**

 ** _"_** ** _You vill bring all fallen HYDRA followers into zee present vhere vee vill rise and destroy your beloved Avengers. Vee vill hold zee vorld accountable for zeir choices against us and kill zose vho go against our future plans. It'll be you. You vill be zee one to kill the one man zat I despise over everything else." He whispered, taking another step towards her as tears began to swell in her eyes._**

 ** _"_** ** _Tell them we're coming, whether they are ready or not. This world has not seen the last of us yet." Her uncle whispered in her ear proudly, pecking the shell of her ear as she cried out in fear, panic coursing through her form._**

 ** _"_** ** _Go. Do vhat you have been created to do. You vill return soon enough. Bye bye Fräulein."_**

* * *

A heavy chill ran up her spine in fear, her eyes shooting open as her breathing quickly escalated.

"Ms. Stark, are you alright? My readings are showing an escalation in your breathing pattern." Friday startled her from her state of panic, her entire form flinching in surprise, her eyes shooting to the ceiling. Panting heavily, her nails embedded themselves into the fabric of the chair while her skin grew with a cold sweat.

Was she alright? Really alright.

* * *

 **So, how was it? Hope it was alright. I spun this chapter up quickly because I was barely home all week to brainstorm.**

 **I love you hear from you all, drop me a line!**

 **See you next week!**

 **P.S. my family holds our annual haunted house each year, so the chances of me updating on time this coming weekend may be slim, but I will try my bestest! lol**


	34. Chapter 34

**So, I barely got this out in the nick of time. I'm so busy I'm surprised I whipped this up in the 10 minutes I had to spare. I'm warning you now, it may not be my best work but this conversation had to happen sooner or later, and I rather it now.**

 **Enjoy~**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Marvel or its characters.**

* * *

"Wilson, I need to talk to you." Nat quickly grabbed Sam's arm before he could ask questions and dragged him away from Clint who only stared at the two disappearing figures in confusion.

"Uhh…okay." Sam was unable to reject the assassins offer as she continued to drag him away till they were completely out of sight.

"What was that about?" Steve asked out loud as he had been watching the female assassin drag his new friend from the room.

"No idea, maybe she has a thing for Wilson." Tony absentmindedly shrugged from behind his computer, sending Bruce paling while Clint and Steve snorted in laughter, just the thought alone being absurd to them.

"Yeah, sure." Clint answered unconvinced.

Once out of sight, Nat let go of Sam's arm, glancing around in suspicion before making eye contact with said man now rubbing his sore forearm.

"Um….I like you and all Romanoff, but not that way….." Of course Wilson had begun to think something was wrong the moment said woman grabbed him out of everyone in the room. He just found it unusual since the first person that usually got Romanoff's attention was Clint or Banner, not him. Nat perked a brow in mild amusement before snorting as she waved off his comment.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, I like you too Wilson but I'm in a pretty complicated relationship as you've notice." She teased back, gesturing to the green gem she wore around her neck, gift from Banner.

"Wait….are you….." Wilson placed a hand on his waist, his other hand pointed at her in surprise as he growled, grabbing his shoulders before giving him a shake.

"Wilson! That's not the issue. I need your help." Nat quickly stopped the man from talking, knowing it was only time before Steve went up to check on Sky like he had been doing every day.

Wilson on the other hand, blinked a few times, his mind trying to keep up with what was going on, though he had no idea what was happening now.

"Uh….you need me to tell Banner you like me?" He guessed innocently, causing her to growl before she tackled him to the ground, holding her hands around his neck in frustration.

"You are so fucking annoying!" She spat irritated, giving him a few shakes before letting go.

"It's about Sky not me you idiot!" She hissed, shooting off of him to stand once more.

At the mention of Sky's name, Sam shot up to sit up, his eyes hardening just a bit while the jokes from earlier quickly disappeared.

"What about her? Is she alright?" Sam pushed himself to stand, dusting himself off before assuming his position against the nearest wall.

"She's awake but she's locked herself away from everyone. She won't let anyone in and has asked me to not allow even Cap in." Natasha crossed her arms, watching as Sam's eyes widened in surprise.

"She said that?" Sam asked surprised as Nat sighed and nodded.

"Because she thinks I can stop a super soldier from kicking down her door just because Friday has it locked." Nat said more to herself as she leaned against the opposite wall.

"Wow. Does Cap know?" Sam asked after a moment of silence, his eyes once again seeking out her own.

"You think I'd be having his conversation with you if he did?" Nat sarcastically asked as Sam shrugged.

"No, he doesn't, or he wouldn't be down in the lab with the others." Nat gestured with her head down the hallway towards the lab.

"So, what do you need me for?" Sam then gave in, knowing there was a specific reason Romanoff had told him this and not Steve.

"I need you to talk to her, talk some sense into her. I think she might be suffering from PTSD." She offered back as Sam stared at her for a moment longer before nodding.

"Well, I'm not the least bit surprised if she is. I'm surprised it took her this long to show any signs of PTSD." Sam's voice took a serious turn as he rubbed the scruff on his chin.

"But you know how this works Romanoff. I can only help her if she's willing to receive the help. If she doesn't, there is only so much I can do." Sam pushed off the wall, turning to make his way down the hallway towards the elevator.

"I know, but you may have a better chance at getting her to talk directly to you and not through Friday." Nat offered as Sam softly smiled at her, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"I'll try my best."

* * *

After her minor panic attack earlier, she had crawled off her chair and into the far corner, her knees pulled to her chest, eyes wide as they shot around the room.

Dr. Zola was going to come back for her. He was going to come back and make her do things, horrible things. She could already see it. A heavy shiver ran down her form as she tightened her arms around her form, pulling her legs closer to her chest.

No. She didn't want to. She never wanted to see that man. Ever.

She would force herself to stay awake for as long as possible. That was the only way she could do that.

 _Knock Knock_

She squeaked startled by the sudden knock as her eyes shot the door in defense. Who was it?

"Sky? It's me." Sam's kind voice slipped through the door, easing some of the tension that was slowly beginning to build in her muscles.

"It's alright, you don't have to answer me, I just came to check on you, see how you're doing." Her muscles continued to loosen in relief at his words.

"I hope you're alright, I'd hate it if anything happened to you girl. What would I do without my comedy partner?" Sky fought the crack of a smile before she snorted in laughter.

That man was always able to pull a smile to her lips, no matter the situation.

"Anyways, just wanted to see if you needed someone to talk to, you know I'm a professional when it comes to this kind of stuff. Well, I don't have 70 years of experience under my belt like Mr. Muscles downstairs but I'm still pretty good." Sam teased sending her laughing again, though he couldn't hear her.

Who was she kidding? Sam was the only one she could talk to about everything that happened. That man would listen to everything you had to say and not judge you for one thing. It could be a bad or good thing yet Sam never judged a person for their actions. Maybe that's what she needed?

"Friday." She addressed with a heavy swallow.

"Yes, Ms. Stark." Her voice answered immediately as she sighed.

She had to talk to someone before it ate away at her any longer. She needed to warn someone that wouldn't tippy toe around her after finding out, exactly what would happen if she told any of the others.

"Allow Wilson in." She hesitantly added, her eyes flashing to the door.

"Are you sure Ms. Stark?" Friday then asked, already picking up on the woman's nerves.

"Yes. Let him in." She answered after a few moments of sucking in deep breath after deep breath.

Soon the soft sound of a _click_ echoed through the room before the door was pushed open by a surprised Sam. He hadn't been expecting her to open the door for him so suddenly but if it was to help her, he didn't care what he had to do, he'd do just about anything for this woman. She was like his little sister.

Sam took a hesitant step into the room, his eyes gazing around in hesitation before landing on the woman still sat up against the furthest wall, watching him emotionlessly. Meeting her eyes, he couldn't help but pass her a soft smile before stepping in when she had made a nudge with her head for him to come in. Shutting the door silently behind him, he took a deep encouraging breath before he slowly approached her, walking around her bed to the seat she had been occupying near the window.

"How you holding up? Anything hurt?" Sam's eyes did a quick once over of her bandaged form before meeting her eyes again.

"I could be better." She shrugged uncaring to the injuries she had sustained, she had deserved them. Sam sighed, watching the various emotions playing across her features before he easily pinpointed a very distinct one, guilt.

"Sky." He addressed carefully when her eyes had quickly avoided his.

"Girl, look at me." He pushed as she sighed, slowly turning her eyes to meet his in hesitation.

"Don't tell me it's not my fault Sam. With the shit I've been through, that's the one thing I will never believe." She answered in a small voice, her tear filled eyes gazing down at her scraped knees.

"Even if you threaten me, you know me enough to know that I'm still going to tell you it's not your fault. Mind control isn't something you can easily shake." Sam's voice took on a serious tone as his eyes never left her form.

"Mind control? Pfft." She scoffed at the thought, shaking her head as she rested her chin on her knees.

"Yes, mind control. That's what they call it when someone has control over your mind and actions, the exact thing that has been happening to you girl. Don't ignore it, it won't help you in the long run. It'll just feed that guilt that I see eating at you." Sam had been partially sarcastic in his answer back for calming down a bit.

"You didn't have any control over your actions." Sam pointed out again, watching as her eyes met his again.

"Who said I didn't have any control over my actions?" She whispered as tears silently fell from her eyes. She knew she was treading on thin ice, giving Sam the idea that she had been in control when she really wasn't, but she couldn't help it. Just thinking about what had happened, everything that she had done and said, a chip of her heart cracked and disappeared at the fact that it could have been all too easy for her to kill the one man she loved.

"You are better than this Sky. I know you, and I have for some time now. You are a good person with a good heart and would do anything to defend the better good in this world. Don't let something like this change the person you are, the person you know you are. You are stronger than this, stronger than HYDRA, by a long shot." Sam waved his arms wildly in front of him for emphasis to his words.

Sam continued to speak to Sky like he would any other person suffering with PTSD. He could tell she was listening to some things he had to stay on the topic, but there were a few things that he had said that had seemed to go right through her.

Once things had seemed to calm down and Sky was no longer crying against the wall, Sam had been able to convince Sky off the floor and onto her bed's edge where Sam could address her easily.

Sam knelt in front of her, holding her hands in his with a kind smile plastered on his face.

"You know how I know you didn't have control over your actions Sky?" Sam asked as he met her hazel orbs.

"How?" She whispered, her voice raw from crying over Sam's words earlier.

"Because, you wouldn't shoot the man you love, ever. Your love for Cap is as corny as they come but genuine, I know." He teased, watching as a smile cracked onto her face.

"There she is." Sam teased again, reaching out to ruffle her hair.

Sky whined, reaching her hands up to playfully whack at his hands causing him to laugh, pulling himself to stand up again.

"Cap loves you, beyond expression girl. Don't think something like this, something that you hold no responsibility over, will make him love you any less. I don't think that's possible." Sam smiled, shaking his head at her.

"What am I supposed to do now?" She whispered, looking down at her hands resting in her lap.

Wilson stared at her for a moment before smiling brightly when the best answer came to mind.

"Do what you do best. Don't let them think they won. Let's get out there and kick their ass. Use what they gave you, against them. That's the best sort of revenge." Sam patted her shoulder in amusement, watching as her eyes quickly met his with a baffled laugh.

Sam was right, he was always right.

"You know, you're too good at this therapy thing. It's scary." She teased, crinkling her nose up at him, watching as he puffed his chest out proudly.

"What can I say, girl? I'm good at what I do, ain't nothing that can top me. Brotha's gotta have a superpower too."

* * *

 **Ended it on a light note this time.**

 **Gotta say, I absolutely love Sam's and Sky's friendship, they are adorable.**

 **Hope this will be able to hold you over till next weekend.**

 **HAPPY HALLOWEEN!**


	35. Chapter 35

**This chapter is going to have to hold you all over till November 18** **th** **. My little family is going on a surprise trip to Disneyland next week and I won't be around a computer or wifi next Sunday. I don't get back home till the middle of the next week so I hope that is alright with you all ;_;**

 **Enjoy~**

 **Oh! And one more thing, this AOU series will probably end in the next chapter or the one after that. When it gets around to the Civil War plots, I want that to be in its own series as not to confused me lol**

 **bold/** _italics: **memories**_

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Marvel or its characters.**

* * *

"He's everywhere." Wanda announced as she emerged from hiding with Vision close behind her.

The group that had been deep in their own research, glanced up quickly at the young woman's voice, Steve's eyes quickly seeking her own.

"What does that mean exactly?" Clint asked for deeper information behind the woman's words. Wanda sighed, frustrated with herself and crossed her arms over her chest while leaning back against the nearest empty counter space.

"It mean's what you think. Germany, Italy, Switzerland, Netherland, Poland and even the Philippines." Wanda named off the various countries she had nip-picked from Collins mind.

"And Rumlow?" Steve asked as his eyes hardened at the mention of the man.

Wanda glanced at Vision shortly before turning back to the Captain with a rejected shake of her head.

"They knew there was a chance he would be caught and kept his newest location under wraps." Wanda's accented voice added while Natasha slyly slipped into the far corner of the room. Both Steve and Tony sighed in frustration, turning back to the computer that had been set up in front of the two.

"Then we are no closer to where we started." Tony groaned in annoyance, rubbing his temples.

"Well, with everything we've collected, there has to be something we're missing." Bruce began pacing the back part of the counter.

"What is there to miss?! HYDRA is once again climbing up our asses, literally and my cousin is once again, sitting upstairs, healing from injuries that we could have easily prevented! The only thing we're missing is how HYDRA could have easily outsmarted us! Us! The fucking Avengers! We're supposed to be better than this yet we can't even protect our own!" Tony shouted upset, slapping his hands loudly onto the counter top while panting heavily from his outburst.

"Sir." Friday's voice spoke up before anyone could attempt to comfort the raging billionaire.

"What is it?" He spat, dragging a hand down his face exhausted.

"Ms. Stark is awake." Friday began just as Sam strolled in the doorway, perching beside Natasha who passed him a glance before the dark-skinned man nodded.

Steve's eyes widened, turning to the ceiling at the AI's voice.

"Where is she? Is she still in her room?" Steve quickly asked, both relief and worry flooding his system.

"Is Lady Skylar alright?" Thor's booming voice echoed through the room.

"I'm sorry Captain, Ms. Stark asked me not to say anything till she was ready. Ms. Stark is currently in the holding cell for Agent Collins."

The room instantly went cold and silent at the AI's words, Nat's eyes whipping over to Sam's in slight horror.

"What did you do?" Nat whispered through a hiss as Sam sighed.

But before Sam could answer or even make some sort of excuse, Steve shot out of the room like a bolt of lightning with Tony, Clint and Thor close on his heels.

What the hell was she doing in there? Did she have another relapse? Steve's mind was filled to the brim with worry as he marched as quickly as his legs could carry him towards the holding cell.

"Vi! Get her out of there!" Tony shouted to the AI he knew was closely following the group.

"Yes Mr. Stark." The AI answered, nodding over to Wanda briefly before he disappeared from sight.

* * *

Sky had soon found herself, standing silently in the holding cell for the man she remembered from her time with SHEILD. Her cold bare feet patted against the cold cement ground before she stopped just outside the hulk cage Tony had once against replicated for their holding cell. Not like the man could get out, no matter how much artillery he was hiding.

She pressed her hand to the outside of the glass dome, her eyes intently staring at the beat up man chained to the chair just beyond the glass.

"I cannot open the door for you Ms. Stark. Under Mr. Stark's orders." Friday's voice pulled her from her inner thoughts as she briefly glared up at the ceiling.

"Then you will forgive me for doing this Friday." She felt a pulse of power run through her fingers and straight into the mechanics keeping the door locked. Easily, the door clicked open without worry before she pulled it completely open to allow herself inside.

"Ms. Stark….." Friday began to announce her disapproval for what the woman did.

"Lock the door behind me Friday." She shut the door, not wanting to use her abilities to lock it incase she did more damage than needed.

"I was wondering when they'd let you down here." Collins whispered rasp of a voice pulled her from her spot near the door.

Skylar glared down at the man's beaten face as he stared at her, clear amusement in his non-swollen eye.

"Who said they let me down here?" She crossed her arms as best as she could with all the bandages covering her skin and approached the man hesitantly.

"Ah, as stubborn and rebellious as always." He chuckled briefly before breaking out into a fit of painful coughing.

"Looks like you took a beating." She stopped just feet in front of him, her eyes taking in the damage her family had done to this man. Collins scoffed as her words, hearing her own amusement behind it before he slowly lifted his head, his eye meeting her own, now clearly annoyed.

"What is it you want, huh? You know I won't answer any question you have." He spit out a clot of blood just an inch from her bare food causing her to gag in disgust.

"I know how HYDRA works, you all have a death wish." She rolled her eyes irritated.

"Then you know I won't answer anything, haven't so far." He shrugged as she picked at one of the bandages on her arm.

"You don't have to answer anything, I'm quite capable of getting answers myself." She smirked proudly, realizing she could easily tap into his mind and find out for herself. But what she hadn't been expecting was the laughter that came off the same man.

"What makes you think that witch didn't already try that?! I don't know anything! Rumlow made sure incase I was caught! It's a dead end for you dumbasses!" He grinned a blood stained smile.

Skylar shot forward, unable to stop herself as her hand shot out, throwing Collins back against the furthest wall of the cage, still chained to his chair. Collins grunted and cried out in pain as the back of his head made contact with the concrete before Skylar slowly marched towards him.

"We may be made from the same group but you should know, Collins, that I am quite capable of getting even further than what you know." She smirked proudly, wanting nothing more than to strangle this man against the wall just to protect her family.

Hearing her words, Collins unconsciously paled at the thought, realizing that HYDRA must have done so much more to her than they were previously informed. Skylar smiled wider at the look of confidence quickly flattering through his face.

"Ah….I see they didn't tell you douche bags everything." She smirked, her eyes flashing violet sending a shot of pain through his mind as she got into his face.

"I will find what you all are hiding and when I do, no one will be safe from me. You all will pay for what you did to my family." She hissed threateningly into his face before she dug deep into his mind, sending him screaming in pain as she went far beyond what he knew, searching his memories for things even he didn't catch or notice.

About a minute into her digging, she felt another presence enter the room and immediately tapped into the cages mechanics to keep them out.

"Ms. Stark." VI's voice answered from behind her as she opened her eyes, peering behind her to see VI standing just inside the glass.

"Mr. Stark has sent me to escort you out of this place. You should be…" VI took a step towards her as she shook her head, her free hand shooting out, using her telekinesis to tap into his own forms mechanics, yanking him from the cage and outside into the lab.

"No, Vi, let me finish this. I need to." She whispered with a sad shake of her head. The AI looked down at himself in surprise before slowly turning his attention to towards the woman who easily kicked him out of the dome.

"But….." He took another step forward as she shook her head.

"I need to do this Vi. I can do it….trust me." Her voice then entered his mind as she continued digging into Collins mind.

"SKY!" A group of voices shouted a moment later as Collins body collapsed unconscious, leaving Skylar standing there silently.

"OPEN THE DAMN DOOR FRIDAY! VI! GET IN THERE!" Tony shouted as the group ran towards the dome, Thor practically breaking through the glass to catch Skylar's crumbling body as she fell to the ground. Steve being just a moment behind the demigod, pulled the woman from the man's bulky arms and into his.

"Why does this keep happening?!" He yelled, tapping Skylar's cheek in horror, attempting to wake her up again.

"Why didn't you get her out?!" Tony turned and shouted at VI who didn't flinch in the least bit.

"Ms. Stark told me she had to do this, that she could do it." VI answered in monotone, looking over at Wanda briefly to see her shake her head at him, having read his mind about wanting to mention the fact that Skylar had pushed him from the dome.

"Do what? What did she have to do?!" Tony marched up to him, furious.

"She knew how to find out where Agent Rumlow is." VI answered, gathering the attention of everyone in the room.

"How is that possible? Wanda tried." Clint pointed out as the scarlet witch nodded before turning from VI.

"Skylar is a lot like me but she is more than I am. Her mind abilities go beyond anything I am capable of." Wanda explained as Steve stood from the ground with Skylar tucked in his arms.

"I don't care what you say Stark, I'm not leaving her side again. That is final." Steve threatened the entire room before marching off with her.

"See, this is why people drink!" Tony threw his arms in the air in frustration before marching off towards his stash of alcohol.

"Wilson, help me chain this guy back up would ya?" Clint nudged his head towards the dark-skinned man who only nodded, passing Natasha a glance before heading towards the hulk dome.

Steve sighed as he walked into his shared bedroom with Skylar softly breathing in his arms. He wasn't sure how much more of this he could take. He knew, within time, if at all possible, he would start sprouting grey hairs, showing off his biological age.

Carefully he placed her down on her side of the bed, pulling the comforter to her chin before he knelt at her side, his eyes never leaving her face. His eyes met each and every bandage in sight, his face hardening at the thought of how she had got those injuries, only pissing him off further.

"How am I supposed to help you if you won't talk to me?" He whispered to know in particular though it was meant for Skylar.

"How am I supposed to protect you if you keep going off and doing things alone?" He added back, his heart breaking at the thought of Skylar wanting to do things on her own, just to save the rest of the group any pain and injury.

"You're going to kill me one day doll." He ended, leaning over and lightly pecking her lips.

"I need you." He whispered against her lips before he pulled himself into the bed beside her, pulling her gently to his chest where he planned on keeping her till she absolutely had to move.

"You remember the first time we met? In Fury's office." Steve had begun to talk to himself, hoping that bringing up happy memories would somehow calm down his racing heartbeat, even just a bit.

"You came into the office screaming at the top of your lungs. I had never heard such language from a woman before."

* * *

 ** _"_** ** _Fury! I know he's in here! Let me in Hill! Get out of the way or I will make you! Don't even start with me Clint, you dumbass! Get the fuck out of my way!" A female voice screeched causing the newly awaken man to turn from the bemused dark-skinned man who continued to sit un-moving in his seat._**

 ** _When the Captain turned towards the small entryway that led to Fury's office, his eyes widened in surprise at the appearance of an unfamiliar yet beautiful angry woman who easily marched right past him and to the man patiently waiting behind his desk. Eyes alight with fire, she slapped her hands down on the desk, glaring hard at the man._**

 ** _"_** ** _Hello Agent Sky, how was the mission?" Fury had always found himself amused at the woman's fury._**

 ** _"_** ** _Don't give me that shit Fury! You sent Clint after me?! It was my mission! I had everything under control!" She snapped as Fury glanced over at Clint who only shrugged, knowing this side of said woman, all too well._**

 ** _"_** ** _Did you? From where I was sitting, you were caught and being tied to a safe to be thrown out into the middle of the Atlantic." Fury offhanded explained the intel he had received from non-other than Clint who had been sent to keep a close eye on the woman. Steve on the other hand, listened in hesitantly, wondering if he should just see himself out and return later in the day._**

 ** _"_** ** _I had everything under control! You know I always have a plan out of everything! Jesus Fury! You've known me for most of my life, trust in me even when shit goes down!" She snapped, breathing heavily._**

 ** _"_** ** _Sky, you could have died….." Clint began to attempt in comforting the woman whose head snapped in his direction._**

 ** _"_** ** _Shut your trap Birdboy, you know I could have gotten out of that yet you came anyways." She hissed as he put his hands up in defense, taking a step back. He knew all too well that she could have easily gotten herself out of her bind but Fury had been insistent on sending him in to assist her_**

 ** _"_** ** _Don't get upset with Agent Barton, I was the one that sent him after you." Fury saved Clint's neck._**

 ** _"_** ** _Typical. Still bending over to Fury I see?" She quirked a brow in Clint's direction, proudly watching as his eyes hardened._**

 ** _"_** ** _Would….." Clint began before Fury put a hand up to stop him from continuing._**

 ** _"_** ** _Seeing as you have arrived in one piece, did you get what I sent you for?" Fury quickly changed the subject as Skylar rolled her eyes, reaching into her leather outfit before tossing the USB onto his desk._**

 ** _"_** ** _Yeah, yeah, yeah, keep your underwear on. Here's your security codes and maps for your beautiful collection." She sarcastically added as Fury grabbed the USB, handing it off to Hill who nodded before exiting the room, already enroute to what Fury had asked her to do._**

 ** _"_** ** _Now that you are here, I have another mission that I need your help with." Fury took a seat again, as Skylar quickly shook her head._**

 ** _"_** ** _Hell fucking no. I'm not going if you're going to send in another babysitter. Why don't you send Clint, since chances are, he'll be stalking me anyways. He's good at that." Sky barked sending Clint scoffed._**

 ** _"_** ** _I resent that stalking comment. I don't stalk, you were my mission!" Clint barked back causing Skylar to roll her eyes._**

 ** _"_** ** _He let you off your chain, let's leave it at that." She spat back before fury cleared his throat._**

 ** _"_** ** _I'm sending you with someone else. I want you to shadow him, help him, show him the ropes." Fury explained as Skylar looked at him annoyed._**

 ** _"_** ** _You want me to babysit a recruit? Dear god, now I'm begging you to send Barton. I don't have patience for snobby teenage brats." She crossed her arms irritated._**

 ** _"_** ** _He's not a teenager or a recruit. He's been added to the team already." Fury cut her off as she arched a brow, slightly intrigued._**

 ** _"_** ** _Well….You can tell him…." She began to rant before Fury shook his head._**

 ** _"_** ** _How about you tell him yourself? He's been here since before you arrived." Fury nudged his head behind Skylar as she immediately spun on her heels, her eyes widening at who was standing just feet behind her._**

 ** _"_** ** _Dear god. It's you." She spoke through shock as Steve rubbed the back of his neck embarrassed._**

 ** _"_** ** _I'm….." He began, holding his hand out as she shook her head._**

 ** _"_** ** _Steve Rogers. I know you, believe me." She muttered the last part equally embarrassed that he had heard her little rant just seconds before._**

 ** _"_** ** _And you are, ma'am?" Steve then asked when she didn't immediately introduce herself._**

 ** _"_** ** _This is one of my most trusted agents, aside from Barton and Romanoff. Agent Skylar Stark." Fury announced from beside her as she glared at his need to introduce herself._**

 ** _"_** ** _Stark? Howard?" Steve's eyes widened like saucers as Skylar sighed, turning back to him with a nod._**

 ** _"_** ** _He's my uncle. Uncle Howard and my father were brothers. It's nice to finally meet you Captain Rogers." She slipped her hand into his still awaiting one and shook it._**

 ** _"_** ** _The please is all mine, ma'am."_**

 ** _"_** ** _Skylar is just fine. I'm not that old."_**

* * *

"You were such a firecracker." Steve teased lightly, having not realized that Skylar had awoken about halfway through his memory lapse.

"And you were such a cookie." She teased lightly, startling him as he yanked her away, faster than he had planned, meeting her hazel eyes.

"Doll, you…" he began as she nuzzled his chest some more.

"I'm tired, let me sleep, please." She begged through a tired whisper. Steve sighed in defeat, wanting nothing more than to question her motive of seeking out Collins earlier but knew that with everything that had happened, she must have been exhausted.

"Alright but I'm not leaving your side till you wake up. I expect answers then too." He kissed the side of her head once before shutting his eyes.

"Okay."

* * *

 **Hope this chapter was good enough to hold you over till sometime next week. I leave for my trip in 2 days and won't be home till sometime next week. And as I mentioned before, the series will most likely end in the next chapter or the chapter after that. I want the Civil War plot to begin in its own series.**

 **Hope you still enjoyed it!**

 **I will see you when I get back!**


	36. Chapter 36

**I'm BACK! WHOO HOO!**

 **The family had an AMAZING time at Disneyland, California Adventure Park and Universal Studios. I'm sure my kids will never forget the time we spent there but now I'm working overtime just to gather back all that money I had to spend just to get us there lol but it was well worth it.**

 **Anyways, on to bigger and better things. Next chapter is up and waiting to be read and I'm kind of excited where this chapter went. I didn't expect it to go this way but I'm actually happy about the outcome.**

 **Bold/** _italics:_ _ **Memories**_

 **Yes, I added a few flashbacks in here because I felt like we all don't know a lot about Skylar's past with the team, well some of it anyways.**

 **Hope you enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Marvel or its characters.**

* * *

 ** _"_** ** _Seriously, out of everyone to date, you date Capscicle?!" Tony had just found out about her relationship with Steve just moments ago when Sam had practically spilled the beans to the entire group as they had their usual Friday night dinner. She was pissed that Sam had let it slip but then again, she couldn't be upset since the man had warned her beforehand that if alcohol found its way into his system, no one's secret would be safe with him._**

 ** _"_** ** _Seriously, is that all you are worried about Tony? Honestly, you didn't see me crawling up your ass about your secret rendezvous with a different playboy every day of the week. And for your info, I not once told Pepper about that, you owe me." She hissed the last part, slamming the cabinet shut before marching over towards the fridge, hoping there was something in there to distract her growing annoyance with her cousin._**

 ** _"_** ** _Um excuse me, first, I wasn't dating Pepper at the time, two, I didn't ask you to keep that a secret, three, I am your parental advisor and four, it's Capsicle, not some random dude. He's part of the team for godsake!" Tony threw his hands into the air in frustration as she spun with an icy glare directed on him. She could careless that their arguing had now gathered the attention of the entire time as they all now stood feet from the entrance to the kitchen, they eyes shooting back and forth as if they were watching a tennis match._**

 ** _"_** ** _God, you can be so fucking annoying sometimes, you know that?" She narrowed her eyes irritated, her hands quickly finding their way to her hips._**

 ** _"_** ** _One, you were dating Pepper at the time, if you didn't drink so much you would remember that along with the fact that you also begged me on your knees not to tell her. Two, you are not my parental advisor, nor will you ever be. And three, I'm free to date who I want, when I want, where I want. You do not run my life Tony and never have." She took a step towards him with every word that slipped past her tongue before she was a foot in front of him, her eyes almost daring him to continue his bantering._**

 ** _"_** ** _You live under my roof, you will listen to me Sky." Tony took a threatening step towards Sky who didn't make a move to step back._**

 ** _"_** ** _Tony, you forget, it was Uncle Howard that brought me in, not you." She hissed back, her blood boiling at the thought that Tony thought he ran her life._**

 ** _"_** ** _Ha. If it weren't for me, you wouldn't be here, or have you forgotten how much of a douche bag your dad was?" Tony crossed his arms, also feeling his irritation skyrocket at the mention of his late father's love for his cousin, something he had prayed to have addressed towards him instead. But once those words left his lips, he realized too late, just why he had kept anything dealing with her dad under wraps._**

 ** _Her annoyance dropped and was quickly replaced by hurt, minor fear and pain as her cousin spat the next sentence at her. Tony's eyes widened in surprise by his choice of words, wishing to quickly take it back if he could._**

 ** _"_** ** _Sky, I'm…." he took a step towards her in apology, his arms already reaching out to embrace her. Sky took a quick step away from him, whacking his hands away from her form._**

 ** _"_** ** _No, you're right, you're always right. My dad was a douche, the biggest. I think this conversation is done." Sky's eyes sought out anything but her cousin as she attempted to keep her emotions at bay before she forcefully pushed past Tony and made a run for her room, ignoring the sound of her name being called from various people of the group that stood confused._**

 ** _Of course they would be confused. Anything about her father was kept under wraps by anyone that knew. As of now, the only people that knew about the truth behind her past were her cousin, Fury and the late Agent Collins, god rest his soul._**

 ** _"_** ** _Stark! What the fuck was that?!" To say Natasha was pissed was an understatement. No one made her friend cry, no one. But to see Sky run as if he fears were nipping at her heels, tears spilling down her face, she wanted nothing more than to pin Tony to a wall and beat the shit out of him._**

 ** _Beside her, Clint quickly made a move to restrain the assassin who was set on killing the billionaire for making a woman, that rarely cried, cry in front of them._**

 ** _"_** ** _What the hell was that Stark?!" Good luck trying to stop her newly announced boyfriend who just happened to be the resident super soldier. Not even Tony's super suit would be able to stop the anger rolling off of Steve in waves. Cap gripped the man's arm, yanking him to turn and face him like a man. No one made Sky cry, no one, he'll be damned if he stood here and let the man that made her cry, ignore what he had done._**

 ** _"_** ** _Let me go, this is your fault!" Tony pushed Steve as hard as he could, off of him, which wasn't much as Steve barely flinched at the push._**

 ** _"_** ** _Like hell." Steve gripped his arm tighter, ignoring the fact that Tony had practically blamed him for what happened to Sky._**

 ** _"_** ** _Stark, you will explain to us why Lady Skylar was crying or I will force it out of you." Thor took a threatening step towards the man who barely passed him a glance._**

 ** _"_** ** _Out of everyone in New York, why her? Why would you chose my cousin to date?" Tony's question took Steve off guard as he blinked in surprise, unsure where the question came from._**

 ** _"_** ** _Why her? Why Skylar when you could have anyone here? The ladies are practically swooning over you every time we go out." Tony sighed, hanging his head as he pushed his free hand through his shaggy hair. Steve watched the man silently, unsure how to read the moment before slipping his grip away from the billionaire._**

 ** _"_** ** _Because I love her. Skylar means a lot to me." Steve answered truthfully, his cheeks tinting red in embarrassment._**

 ** _"_** ** _Yeah, I've heard that before, many times before actually." Tony scoffed, fixing the sleeve of his long sleeve tee shirt._**

 ** _"_** ** _Would you rather her date someone she doesn't know?" Bruce finally entered the conversation, his interest peeking at the exchange between the two men._**

 ** _"_** ** _I rather her not date, it's safer that way." Tony muttered under his breath only causing Nat to roll her eyes._**

 ** _"_** ** _Unfortunately for you Stark, you don't run her life. Sky is old enough to choose who she dates and she's chosen Cap, why can't you, for once in your life, be happy for her? Be happy that she's dating someone you know, someone you are close with. It would be better that way." Nat barked at the man, shrugging out of Clint's arms to march in the direction Sky had disappeared moments before._**

 ** _"_** ** _She's right you know. If I had a sister and she had to either date one of you or a douche bag off the streets, I would rather her be with one of you assholes. At least I know you and your intentions." Clint commented, slipping his hands into his pants pockets with a shrug before turning and leaving the room._**

 ** _Tony glared at the retreating forms of his two teammates before turning to the two men still present in front of him._**

 ** _"_** ** _You made Lady Skylar cry, someone who doesn't cry easily." Thor added with narrowed eyes, his arms bulging as he crossed them over his chest._**

 ** _"_** ** _I know, I know, I didn't mean to." Tony waved them off as Steve sighed, crossing his arms over his chest._**

 ** _"_** ** _If this were back in the 40s, I would be a little concerned that you haven't given us your blessing, but right now, I can't find it in me to care. I love Skylar, whether you believe me or not and I'm going to make her happy for as long as she will have me. I'm sorry but not even the likes of you will take that from me or her." Steve warned, turning and patting Thor's arm before disappearing to find his crying girl._**

 ** _"_** ** _If you were not an important part of this Midgardian team, I would have your head for that Brother Stark." Thor warned before turning and leaving the billionaire to simmer in his regret and guilt._**

* * *

 ** _"_** ** _He's cute." Skylar commented as Steve showed her an old photo of both him and Bucky from when they had still been part of the Howling Commandoes. Steve on the other hand, stared at her wide-eyed, her comment doing something to him as he shook the thought from his mind, tossing the photo back into the box sitting between them._**

 ** _"_** ** _If you're into that kind of thing." Steve shrugged seemingly uncaring as Skylar peeked up at him through her long lashes, noticing the jealousy burning behind his eyes as he attempted to be as gentle with his things as possible._**

 ** _"_** ** _Not really. He's good looking I'll give him that, but I'm more into that innocent type. Blonde hair, blue eyes." She teased sarcastically, peering down at her nails innocently, feeling his eyes quickly switch over to her form sitting across from him._**

 ** _"_** ** _Blonde hair, blues eyes?" He asked, sounding a bit more hopeful that he had hoped sending her insides fluttering._**

 ** _"_** ** _Uh-huh. Makes me squirm." She teased on, shivering for added effect as she watched his Adams apple bob slightly._**

 ** _Steve attempted in ignoring the feeling of heat shooting through his form at her words, shutting his eyes, begging his insides to stop betraying him while Skylar sat there, silently enjoying the effect she was having on her super boyfriend._**

 ** _"_** ** _Is that so?" Steve asked, clearing his throat as he tugged at the high collar around his neck, suddenly finding the room temperature rising by the minute._**

 ** _"_** ** _Uh-huh." She nodded, nibbling on her bottom lip, her eyes never wavering from his squirming form._**

 ** _"_** ** _Spikey blonde hair, soft yet easy to grab." She added, enjoying the redness continuing to grow across his face as he fidgeted with the items in his lap._**

 ** _"_** ** _Deep, sky blue eyes that reflect the world for me." She tilted her head cutely, wanting nothing more than to see what she was describing._**

 ** _"_** ** _Dear god, Sky, ease up on him would ya? Cap looks like he's seconds away from blowing a casket." Nat's voice rang through the seemingly empty living room as Skylar's eyes shot over to meet her friends amused ones while Steve looked at her horrified._**

 ** _"_** ** _I am not about to blow a casket!" Steve immediately retaliated sending Nat snorting as she dug through the fridge briefly._**

 ** _"_** ** _You do know that you've blushed about every shade of red since she began describing you, right?" Nat arched a teasing eyebrow at the super soldier who gaped in embarrassment, his lips blubbering for words that didn't seem to come to mind._**

 ** _"_** ** _Sorry to bother you Ms. Stark, but Dr. Banner would like your assistance down in the lab." Friday interrupted their conversation as Skylar laughed, pushing herself to stand._**

 ** _"_** ** _Nat, you are no fun." Skylar commented with a roll of her eyes before turning to meet Steve's bright blues._**

 ** _"_** ** _And I'm sorry. I was only teasing. I'll see you tonight?" She offered, leaning down to quickly steal a kiss from his soft lips, successfully pulling a brighter blush from the man that wasn't quite used to being physically intimate in front of anyone else._**

 ** _"_** ** _Uhh…yeah…okay…..sure" He stumbled over his words, clearing his throat as he stood to allow her room by him._**

 ** _"_** ** _Alright, I'll see you later soldier." She winked at him, unable to help herself from teasing him further as she brushed past Nat with a playful tap of her elbow._**

 ** _Steve unconsciously watched Sky disappear into the elevator before his eyes returned to the assassin who was already watching him with raised brows._**

 ** _"_** ** _You sure you're a virgin Cap?" She mocked playfully as he cleared his throat, turning back to his things laid out across the coffee table._**

 ** _"_** ** _Is that really any of your business Romanoff?" Steve answered back uninterested though he was about a hundred percent sure the woman had caught him gawking at her friend departing form._**

 ** _"_** ** _You don't have to play coy with me Cap, I see everything. Like the way your eyes were devouring her. I'm a little surprised as I didn't know Captain America had such a look." She threw her head back laughing proudly at herself, noticing the way Steve stiffened at the woman's words before turning to shout something at her._**

* * *

 ** _"_** ** _I'll be right back doll." Steve whispered to her over the loud music playing in the club, pecking her cheek lightly before disappearing into the ever growing crowd of horny teenagers._**

 ** _Sure, it hadn't been Steve's idea to bring Sky to such a place on a date, but the group had made plans to hang out as a whole tonight and the venue choice had been decided long before they had been informed. Sky had fought tooth and nail, knowing Steve wasn't quite comfortable in the present time dance halls, especially with the way dancing had changed over the years, but after much argument, Steve assured everyone that he would be alright. Naturally Sky didn't believe one word that came out of his mouth and decided to go along with it anyway._**

 ** _Now it was about halfway through the night, Tony had found him a pretty brunette to dry hump in the middle of the dancefloor, Bruce had been practically dragged to the middle of the dancefloor by a very persuasive Natasha, Sam and Clint were both introducing Thor to various types of alcohol Earth offered, wondering if anyone were strong enough to knock the Asgardian off his feet, while Wanda and Vision were perched in the groups private booth across the club, silently conversing between the two._**

 ** _Skylar on the other hand, drank lightly through the evening, conversing with the girls, dancing alongside Nat which surprised Steve to see before the man had finally knocked up the courage to ask her to dance as a semi-slow tune began to echo through the room._**

 ** _Once the dance finished, they slipped across the room to the bar, ordering something light before Steve disappeared towards the bathroom._**

 ** _Steve and Sky had only been dating for about a month and still, Sky found herself silently battling butterflies anytime that man showed his undying charm. Why couldn't men of her time be as dashing and gentlemanly as Steve's time? She couldn't help but wonder how easy it would be to find that special someone if the male population had stuck to that code. But then again, if that were true, she may never have met the Captain to begin with._**

 ** _"_** ** _Hey doll." A drawled out voice called behind her causing her to spin, assuming it was Steve only to come face to face with someone she didn't recognize._**

 ** _"_** ** _Can I help you?" She asked back defensively, her walls immediately going up._**

 ** _"_** ** _I'm sure a pretty little thing like you could help me." His dark eyes scanned her body disgustingly before meeting her eyes as he licked his lips._**

 ** _Dear god, was this guy serious? She inwardly gagged at his words, her eyes immediately meeting those of her fellow team, Clint and Nat, who were both narrowing their eyes dangerously at the man who was now making himself at home in the empty seat beside her._**

 ** _"_** ** _Um excuse me but…." She was about to inform the man that her 'super soldier' boyfriend had been sitting there seconds before, only for the man to bark out in laughter, as if the entire situation was hilarious beyond words._**

 ** _"_** ** _You have such beautiful eyes." He quickly interrupted her as she gawked, rolling her eyes._**

 ** _"_** ** _I have normal hazel eyes, but thanks." She muttered into the lip of her lemonade, gasping in shock and horror as the man yanked her arm to face him, her drink slushing around in her glass, over the brim and down the front of her black cocktail dress. She shot out of her seat, gasping as she looked down at the wet stain growing down the fabric of one of her favorite dresses._**

 ** _"_** ** _Aw…that's a shame. That dress was made for your body." The man sounded too proud for his own good as she slowly lifted her head to glare in his direction._**

 ** _"_** ** _You bastard…." She hissed furiously at the man, wondering how far this man's ego really went as he seemed unfazed by her name for him._**

 ** _"_** ** _Let's get you cleaned up, shall we?" He stood, well more like stumbled off the bar stool and right at her, basically falling against him as her arm shot out to stop herself, knocking a few glasses from the counter top, shattering on the floor._**

 ** _"_** ** _Get off me!" She screeched, her arms swinging out wildly in an overdose of anger and frustration, only getting in a few hits to his side and shoulder before the man all but pinned her back painfully to the ledge of the counter._**

 ** _"_** ** _What's the problem darling? I know you want me." He whispered huskily into her neck as she thrashed, glancing over, noticing the Tony had all but ditched the brunette en-route to her side along with the rest of the team._**

 ** _"_** ** _The lady said to get off of her." A deep, dangerous voice hissed before a large hand landed on the man's shoulder, effortlessly yanking him off of her and into the middle of the dancefloor. The music cut to a screeching halt as the crowd split in two, allowing room for the man's body to slide across the dirty floor and into the middle._**

 ** _Before Skylar had any time to look around in wonder to what the hell just occurred, those same strong arms that she easily recognized, grabbed onto her shoulder, blue eyes finding her own._**

 ** _"_** ** _Doll, are you alright? Talk to me." He looked at her desperately, his eyes drifting up and down her form, attempting to ignore the large wet stain soaked into the front of her skin tight black dress._**

 ** _"_** ** _I-I'm fine." She whispered, as his eyes shot up to meet hers once more, uncertainty and anger still simmering behind his orbs._**

 ** _"_** ** _Steve…." She started, knowing how angry he was with what he had seen._**

 ** _"_** ** _Romanoff, keep Skylar here." Steve suddenly spoke, his eyes never leaving her own as she looked around in confusion, shocked to see the assassin already at her side._**

 ** _"_** ** _No….Steve…." Skylar reached out for the retreating form of her anger brewing boyfriend, knowing what he wanted to do before Nat grabbed her around her waist, shaking her head._**

 ** _"_** ** _No use talking to him. Barton and Stark are going with him." Nat mentioned to her friend as the two female watched as the 3 male members marched onto the dancefloor, yanking the yelling man from the ground and through the nosey crowd to the back door._**

 ** _"_** ** _Let's go get you changed. We'll wait for them at the Tower."_**

* * *

 _BEEP BEEP BEEP INTRUDER ALERT BEEP BEEP BEEP INITIATING LOCK DO-_

"Sky! Sky! WAKE UP DOLL! COME ON!" A voice was shouting at her through her subconscious as her face contorted in annoyance and confusion.

"Doll! Come on! The Tower is under attack!" The voice continued to shout as they shook her body before her eyes shot open, her body shooting up to sit up.

Steve barely had time to pull back from being almost bashed in the head by her own, his body yanking back in fight mode in case she woke up in one of her episodes.

Breathing heavily, Skylar's eyes shot around to her surroundings, immediately noticing the red flashing lights and loud alarm echoing through the entire floor before she met the hesitant and worried eyes of her boyfriend.

"Skylar….it's okay. You know me. I won't hurt you." He lifted a hesitant hand up to her, slowly approaching her as she blinked away the sleep from her eyes.

"What's going on?" She whispered as his hand stopped a few inches from her cheek, his eyes alit with relief.

"You remember me." He pointed out in relief as she pushed her unruly hair from face and nodded.

"Thank god." He whispered in added relief, pulling himself to stand as he was already dressed in his Captain America gear.

"Come on, we have to go, the Tower is under attack." He urged in his Captain voice, his arms reaching out to yank her from the bed and to her feet.

"Who's attacking the Tower?" She asked as she raced across the room, on full alert, finding whatever clothes she could find, slipping them on quickly.

"No idea. Friday went off line just a minute ago and I can't get in contact with the rest of the group." He added seriously as he peered out the crack of their bedroom door.

She tugged her boots on, tying them at her calves just as an explosion shot through the building sending the Tower swaying at the force. Skylar screeched in surprise, her form tossing back and forth where she was sitting before she landed on the ground just beside Steve.

"Come on, doll, we gotta find the others." He pulled her to stand close to his side, his shield held at the ready, sandwiching her between his large frame and his shield.

Silently the pair found themselves slipping from their shared room and down the hallway towards their private living room. It was quiet, too quiet.

"Can…..can you sense anything?" Steve asked hesitantly, unsure if he was crossing boundaries seeing as he knew how much she didn't accept her abilities. Skylar on the other hand, snickered silently, her eyes seeking out his in the dark.

"I can't sense people Rogers." She teased, poking him lightly, hoping to ease the tension off his shoulders even just a bit.

"But I can try to tap into the towers tech and see what I can find." She offered, hesitantly turning to the touch pad just beside her on the wall.

"You don't have to if you don't want to doll. I know how much you don't like to use your…" He cleared his throat at the end, unsure what to call her enhancement before her hazel eyes met his with a shake of her head.

"No, I want to do it. We need to find out where everyone is." She patted his chest lightly, pushing from his towering form and towards the dark pad.

"What…what do you need me to do?" He asked, wanting to be of some help while she tapped into something she hated.

"Just watch my back will ya?" She winked playfully over her shoulder, catching him off guard with how at ease she seemed to be, though he couldn't see the way her eyes twitched in worry and hesitation.

"You know I always will." He answered back without any hesitation as she chuckled and nodded.

"Good to know." She added back, turning to the pad with a deep breath. Slowly she placed her hands onto the blank screen, feeling the surge of power flow through her form before shooting into the wall. She gasped at the feeling, her head reeling as it felt like she was being forcefully yanked through the electrical system of the Tower's tech.

Steve's eyes crinkled in worry at the noises that escaped the woman standing beside him. He wanted to reach out and hold her, softly whisper and tell her that everything was going to be okay, but he wasn't sure how that would affect what she was trying to do.

Before his mind could feed the growing guilt in his heart, the sound of something clattering to the ground just beyond the corner of the hallway, in their living room caused him to spin, his shield at the ready.

That's when he heard voices, speaking softly in German.

They were on their floor, looking for her.

His eyes hardened as he took a peek at the woman silently standing behind him then back down towards their darkened hallway.

"Sky. Hurry." He whispered desperately.

* * *

Skylar felt herself take one last turn before she was finally deep inside Friday's mind, whatever was working anyways. Through that she was able to pinpoint all members of her team along with those that were currently seeking the team out. There were too many. Way too many HYDRA agents scurrying through the Tower.

Pinpointing each one, her heart thundered in her chest as she found a group of 8 surrounding none other than Steve. It was like the air was yanked from her chest and her mind was thrown into a blender as her subconscious was thrown forcefully back into her body, sending her form jolting across the hallway and into the wall opposite of her. Eyes wide, palms sweating and mind attempting to collect what was left of it, shouting from down the hallway where their private living room pulled her from her panic as realization set in.

Steve was in trouble.

And like hell she'd let them harm him or any of her family ever again.

* * *

 **SO how was it for my first chapter back? Lol Hope it was alright, I haven't been getting many reviews from you all so I'm not sure if I'm still going in the right direction hahaha let me know.**

 **See you next Sunday~**


	37. Chapter 37

**Early update because I am TOO COOL! (does weird dance on the side) Technically I said that this chapter or the next would be the last of the series, but seeing as this chapter just got longer and longer, I think it'll definitely be the chapter after the next.**

 **So, a lot is happening in this chapter that is about all I can warn you about lol on top of it being one of my longest chapters I have written in this entire series, to date (well not really, but it definitely feels like it lol). Once my fingers started going, I couldn't stop it, surprisingly.**

 **But I hope you all enjoy it. Lots of action, a surprising visit by two other characters along with a pop in from Bucky (-inwardly squeaking because Bucky is bae-)**

 **Enjoy! And Happy Thanksgiving!**

 **BOLD: Memories**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Marvel or its characters!**

* * *

She was done being the damsel in distress.

She was done letting fear control her life.

She was done allowing HYDRA any opening in controlling what they had made her to be.

No one would hurt her family or friends again. No one.

She was done sitting on the sidelines like some wounded puppy.

She was done watching her family fight to protect her, someone who was quite capable of protecting herself.

And most of all, she was done being scared of something that she could easily use to protect what was hers.

They made her into a monster but she could become a monster that HYDRA would fear.

She would use what they turned her into, against them.

Make them regret ever stepping foot into the Tower, ever attempting to hurt her family, ever kidnapping her in the first place.

She would truly show them how much of a nightmare she could truly be.

Consequences be damned.

If she woke up in the spirit dimension once this was all over, she'd be alright with that as long as her family was safe from those attacking them now.

But first things first, HYDRA needed to die. They needed to be dealt with now. Hell with 'Cut off one head and two more shall take its place'. She was inwardly praying that they would grow two more heads just so she could proudly kill them too.

Running around the corner into the living room, her pulse was already thundering in her ears to the point that she could barely hear the shouting of the fight happening in front of her. Ducking out of the way, she instantly saw the blow that was coming in her direction as one of the HYDRA agents swung a metal pipe at her head.

"SKY! GET OUT OF HERE!" Steve shouted from his hand to hand combat with about 4 other HYDRA agents.

"Like hell! I'm not leaving your ass here!" She snapped back, swiping her leg out, efficiently taking out the legs of the man that tried to hit her.

"I SAID GET OUT OF HERE! FIND THE OTHERS!" He continued to order her as she kicked the down man in the face, immediately knocking him unconscious before gasping in surprise as another agent appeared behind her, wrapping his arms tightly around her form.

"No way!" She grunted, thrashing a bit before throwing her head back, making contact with the man's nose. He squeaked in pain, quickly letting go of his hold on her to attend to his now broken nose while she spun, kicking him dangerously in the side of the head.

"SKY! DO AS I SAY!" Steve grunted as one of the men punched him in the stomach before kicking him in the face, sending the Captain stumbling back into the already broken wall.

"What part of 'no' don't you understand?!" She snapped over the sound of broken glass as another pair of HYDRA agents repelled in from the broken balcony windows.

Great.

"SKY! PLEASE GO! RUN!" Steve ducked out of the way of another blow, tossing his shield perfectly across the room, knocking the two new arrivals out of the window and to their deaths below.

"For the love of god, I'm not leaving you! Never!" She snapped, her eyes finding the form of one of the agents she had knocked down just moments ago, reaching for his gun on his hip. He wasted no time in pulling it up and aiming at the unsuspecting Captain just a few feet away.

"No way in hell." She growled, tapping into her telepathy as her hand shot out just as the gun went off.

Steve spun in horror at the sound of the gun, his eyes immediately seeking out her own in desperation while the down agent stared confused at the bullet that was now floating in thin air just inches from Steve's chest.

Seeing that she was unharmed, he glanced down and finally noticed the bullet that had been directed at him.

"You people just don't learn." She hissed, her wrist snapping as she sent the bullet careening back towards the agent that shot it, spearing him through the forehead.

It was easy to dispose of these people.

That's what she had thought the moment the man's dead form dropped to the ground lifeless only to be tossed for a loop when another set of arms wrapped tightly around her form before the presence of something cold and metal was pressed to her temple.

"Drop the shield." The man behind her threatened Cap who stared threateningly at the man holding her hostage.

"Drop it! OR I'll shoot her!" The man shouted desperately this time, his grip on her tightening further.

Skylar on the other hand, didn't feel fazed by the man's threat as she knew if HYDRA really wanted her, they would want her alive. How else would they get what they wanted if she wasn't breathing? Steve slowly dropped his arm, his eyes seeking out her now violet ones, silently asking her what she had planned, if anything. Skylar on the other hand let off a small smile, a way of telling him to trust her as she had something up her sleeve.

Giving in and admitting defeat, Steve hesitantly dropped his shield with a loud clatter before the remaining agents were on him like flies to a dune heap. They wrestled and tussled a bit before he was finally restrained as best as they could.

"Good choice." The man holding her praised as he lifted a hand to his earpiece, about to report to his superior waiting for any news on her capture.

This was her chance.

Shutting her eyes, softly taking in a lung of air before allowing her consciousness to dive into his earpiece. It buzzed a bit at her appearance within before she was able to listen in on the conversation he was having with whoever was in charge.

"Asset in custody."

"Perfect. And the Captain?"

"Restrained."

"Kill him and meet at the rendezvous point with the asset."

"Yes sir."

That voice. She knew that voice anywhere.

Collins. They had broken him out from the Towers cell.

"You know what to do. Meet at the rendezvous point in 10 minutes." The man holding her commanded the group holding Steve as Skylar slowly drifted back into her body. Shaking the headache from her mind, she opened her fuzzy eyes, meeting the concerned ones of Steve who was obediently standing there.

Once the man holding her began to yank her away, that's when everything seemed to freeze as Collins words from moments ago finally sunk in.

They were commanded to kill him. To kill Steve.

Tears began to flood her eyes at the possibility of never seeing this man again. Her heart hammered in her chest as the blood under her skin began to boil as if lava was flowing through her veins.

Watching him struggle against his restraints as she was dragged away, set fire to the blaze already set inside her.

No.

She wasn't going to stand here and let them kill him.

No way in hell.

The last straw to the small amount of sanity still left inside her, was the sight of one of the men pulling out a pistol and holding it to Steve's chest without the man even noticing.

That's when something snapped inside her. A pulse, one she hadn't felt in a long time, shot off her form, shooting the man that had been holding her threw the nearest wall and out into the world. Knowing Steve could handle something like that, she allowed the pulse to travel through the room completely, taking every living thing present, with it.

What she hadn't expected was how strong it had initially been. Steve fought against the power of it, losing as he was tossed clean out the window with the rest of them. Skylar gasped at the sight, her heart sinking as her hands shot out, barely able to catch him in mid-air.

She had never been so thankful for what HYDRA made her to be, then in that moment.

Pulling him back into the building and directly to her, she threw herself against him as they crumbled to the ground together.

"I'll never leave you alone. Ever." She whispered through tears as she clung desperately to his form.

"Me either. I love you doll." He whispered back, his hold on her tightening as if his life depended on it.

"The others!" She gasped as she realized she had also saw them fighting off their own pairs.

"We need to go help them. They broke Collins out!" She yanked away from his hold, grabbing his hand and dragging toward the nearest team member.

The pair successfully helped Barton, Nat, Sam and Wanda, though Vison, Thor and Hulk were better off on their own as they arrived to find all HYDRA agents already disposed of.

"Where's Stark?" Nat asked as they looked around to the bruised and bloodied group currently gathered.

Skylar's eyes whipped around the room before widening when she realized she hadn't made it to her cousin yet.

"Oh god…." She whispered in a panic, her eyes shooting over to Vision.

"Vi, take me to the pent house!" She ran over, desperately begging him as Steve stepped up confused.

"Woah. Wait a minute. You're not leaving. We can go up together." He quickly shot down her desperate plea as she shook her head.

"No, I need to get up there now. Trust me. Meet me up there, please." She begged as Steve saw the desperate way she was looking at him, he knew she knew more than she was letting off.

Swallowing heavily, fighting against the defeat growing inside him, he was interrupted by a heavy hand on his shoulder.

"I will fly the Captain up there immediately Lady Sky." Thor's booming voice broke through the awkward silence as Skylar smiled gratefully at the demi-god.

"Thank you Thor." She softly thanked, nodding to Steve who had no choice but to nod back before she turned back to Vision.

"Pent house and hurry." She pushed the AI who simply nodded, allowing his arm to wrap around her small waist before the two disappeared from sight.

"We'll meet you up there." Nat announced past her slight limp as Steve nodded, allowing the demi-god to take hold of his arm as he swung his hammer around.

"Hurry." Clint added seriously from beside the Hulk who continued to growl as the four watched the two men disappear out the window.

"Need a lift?" Sam asked as his wings retracted from the pack on his back.

Vision and Sky penetrated the pent house floor seconds after they disappeared to find the entire floor a complete disaster.

"No." She whispered in horror as she pulled herself from Vision's side, slowly taking a step closer to the mess.

Nothing was not broken. Everything was destroyed.

"I see you finally decided to show up." A voice carried through the eerily quiet room as Skylar's tear filled violet eyes sought out the owner of said voice only to see Collins seemingly making himself at home behind his cousin's bar.

"Where is he? Where is Tony!?" She demanded loudly, a few things being thrown across the room at the energy level currently spiking from her frame.

"Hey. Calm down. You know you can't get anything done when you're mad." Collins mocked as he sipped a dark liquid from a broken glass.

She was furious. How dare this man, mock her cousin's life right in front of her?

Taking a threatening step forward, Collins stood quickly and tutted at her.

"Not another step there. Kill me and you'll never find your cousin." He threatened back, only then did Skylar realize the weird contraption around his head.

What the hell was that thing?

"Ms. Stark." Vision whispered from beside her as her eyes sought out the AI's.

"I'm getting an unnatural reading from this room." He explained as his eyes continued to whip around the pent house.

Unnatural? She couldn't help but think, what about this room was unnatural?

"So, I heard from a little birdy that you have a message for us from the other side?" Collins trailed around the bar top just as Steve and Thor came charging in from the broken balcony window.

"Wait!" Her arms shot out, stopping the two behemoth men from running any further. Both men looked down at the tiny woman in confusion before noticing the look of absolute horror playing through her violet orbs.

"Who told you?" She whispered hesitantly as the man chuckled and shrugged.

"I have my ways, now, why don't you tell the room what the message was from the 'great beyond'?" Collins leaned against the ledge of the counter, a little proud with himself as he gained more attention from the still arriving group.

"What's he going on about now Sky?" Sam asked as he pulled his wings back in before stepping back from Clint who was not all too happy about having to catch a ride with the man.

Sky's heart thundered loudly in her chest, dropping into her stomach as she took in a panicked breath.

"Come on. The room deserves to know." Collins egged on, knowing how the room would react to the woman hiding such secrets from them.

"What's he talking about doll?" Steve whispered worried from beside her as she hung her head, looking down to her tattered clothes.

"Dr. Zola." She whispered hesitantly, catching everyone's attention at the crazy scientist's name.

"He sent me back with a message." She added, her voice growing shaky.

"What kind of message?" Nat asked seriously, her eyes panning back and forth from her scared friend to the proud HYDRA agent standing across the room.

"They are coming, whether we are ready or not. We have not seen the last of them." She repeated the message her uncle of all people have passed on to her.

"Who is coming?" Clint's grip on his bow tightened at the woman's words.

"HYDRA. All those you have killed and Dr. Zola." She hung her head again as pain shot through her mind at the realization that she had kept this a secret for so long from everyone present.

"What?! Wait. Wait. Wait. Who?" Sam couldn't believe his ears as Nat and Clint's eyes shot over to each other in concern.

"They're dead doll, how could they possibly come back to life?" Steve placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, feeling her body begin to shiver from under his touch.

"How do you think they will?" Collins called over as Steve shot him a 'shut the hell up' look, which did little to nothing.

"You all still think so little of what HYDRA has created." He nudged his head in Skylar's direction as Steve and Thor both took a protective step in front of her which only sent Collins chuckling amused.

"Even the likes of you won't be able to protect her with what is coming. It's too late." He continued to laugh as he pulled the strange device over his face.

"They're already on their way." He smirked from behind the large mechanical goggles as the building shook heavily.

As soon as the building shook, Skylar let out a scream of pain, crumbling to the ground on her knees as she held her head. The pain currently running through her mind was unimaginable. She had never felt pain like this before and honestly, she never wanted to again.

"Sky! Doll!" Voices shouted from around her as she held her head tightly between her hands, feeling the familiar pulse of power begin to grow up her chest and into her head, where it let through another wave of pain. She screamed again just as a hand touched her before the occupants of the room were shot in every direction thanks to the now violet aura that quickly shot out of Skylar.

She knew what was happening even though she had never experienced it yet, she knew what was coming.

They were coming.

That same violet aura shot from Skylar's crumbled form and through the roof of the ceiling, into the New York sky, it was like the attack on New York all over again.

"What the hell is happening?!" Sam shouted from his pinned spot against the wall, fighting against the hold on him.

"They're using Sky as the bridge between dimensions! They're opening the dimension into our world!" Wanda shouted from her spot as the Hulk roared against the effortless hold Sky had on him.

"Sky! Stop! Don't do this!" Steve shouted over the whip of wind that was now swirling through the room and up through the large hole in the pent house ceiling.

But Sky could no longer hear him as her consciousness was stolen from her body and thrown into the next dimension.

* * *

Sky's mind twisted and tumbled before she heard a familiar voice calling out to her.

"Sky! Wake up! Come on!" The voice shouted, as if repeating the same words Steve had been yelling at her just a few hours prior.

Slowly peeling her eyes open, she was met with a face she had not been expecting to see when she woke.

"Tony?" She whispered through a raspy voice as his pained eyes softened only a bit.

"What happened?" She whispered as Tony slowly began to help her up from where she had been laying on the ground.

"Wait, Tony?" She realized that she had been previously looking for him and grabbed his face suddenly, sending the man yelping in pain as his face was practically swollen in various places.

"Ow. Ow. Ow. OW!" He yelled, pulling his cousins hands from his face to groan in pain.

"That means….." Horror filled her stomach as her eyes shot around to her surroundings to find that, sure enough, they were in the other dimension.

"No." Tears filled her eyes to the brim as she ran over to the nearest window, glancing out at the gray scenery, her eyes immediately noticing the pillar of bright violet light in the center of town where the Avengers Tower was. Heart beating quickly, she noticed movement in the streets as her eyes quickly picked out the various dark figures all heading in the direction of the pillar.

"No, no, no…." She cried out, banging on the window viciously till it shattered under her force.

"Sky! Stop! Stop!" Tony shouted behind her, grabbing her around her waist and yanking her forcefully from the now broken window.

"Let me go! Let go!" She thrashed in his arms, getting in a good swing of her leg as Tony dropped her anything but gently onto the ground.

Crumbling onto the ground, her cut covered hands clenched into fists as she buried her face into the dirty floor, silently sobbing out. Hearing her crying, Tony crawled over to his cousin and gently took her into his arms, holding her to his chest as he quieted hushed her.

* * *

Seeing as Skylar hadn't answered to any of their calls, Steve could only assume, with the amount of power coming off of her form, that she was no longer conscious, that the portal opening high above the sky of New York was being held open with her unconscious mind. Tears silently spilled from his eyes as they hardened and turned to the proud man standing at the balcony window, watching the flashing lights from the portal high above.

"You'll be dealt with soon enough." He continued to point out as a sly grin crossed his features.

"What did you do to Lady Skylar?!" Thor thrashed in his spot against the window as Collins passed him an uncaring glance.

"What she was created to do." Was all he said before turning back to the sight in front of them.

"Soon enough, you will all experience the true power of HYDRA, past and present." Collins smirked as electricity began to spark down from the opening in the sky, sending the audience in the streets below, screaming as each bolt shot at various buildings surrounding Avenger Tower.

"We need to do something aside from just laying here!" Sam called over to the others as Nat began to fiddle with the widow bites on her wrist.

* * *

"So this is the other dimension." Tony spoke up in mock sarcasm a few moments after Skylar pried her sobbing form from his arms. Both Starks were now perched in the broken window, watching helplessly as various dark figures began to slowly be sucked up into the sky.

"The one and only." Sky whispered defeated, tears still silently falling from her eyes.

"I expected it to be a bit more…I don't know." He muttered more to himself, shrugging, unsure how to explain himself.

"Dead?" She answered for him through a pitch in her voice as she wiped her tears, watching as the dirt on her face smeared through the wetness.

"Well, considering it's New York City, this is pretty dead." Tony attempted to lighten the mood though when he glanced over to his cousin, her face of dread had not changed one bit.

"Sky, come on, you can't blame yourself for this." Tony spoke exasperated as Sky sniffled, hiccupping suddenly.

"What is there not to blame? This is happening because of me, because I am the bridge to this dimension. If I wasn't alive….." She began to say before pain erupted across her face, her head spinning at the force of a slap she hadn't seen coming.

Blinking in surprise, she held a hand to her cheek in shock, her head slowly turning to see none other than her cousin staring at her angrily.

"Don't you DARE say that!" He snapped as she swallowed heavily, tears filling her eyes to the brim.

"Don't you dare say something like that." He softly added, his eyes softening a bit.

Tony sighed, running a frustrated hand through his hair before he stepped up, almost hesitantly to stand in front of her. He placed his hands on her shoulders causing her to meet his eyes finally, feeling the way his hands shook a little as he touched her.

"Sky, you know, none of this would have changed had you not been here. HYDRA would have still crawled around in the dirt and sought someone else out to use." Tony carefully started as Skylar continued to stare at him, her eyes never moving from his.

"Can you imagine what would have happened had HYDRA found someone that wasn't as goodhearted or as kind as you?" Tony's eyes watered a bit though he fought to reel in his emotions.

"I can only imagine the terrible things that person would have done with the things you have been given." Tony whispered this time, his mind catching up with what was truly happening.

"Believe me Sky, I know you hate the shit they gave you and the things they did to you, which I will never comprehend in my wildest dreams, but think about it, things like these happen for a reason, even if we don't know that reason. Death would have never stopped something like this from happening. But remember, someday, everything will make perfect sense to you, but for now, laugh at the confusion, smile through the tears and keep reminding yourself….." " Tony's heart swelled as those familiar words passed his lips sending Skylar's eyes widening when she immediately recognized where Tony had pulled that quote from.

"that everything happens for a reason." Skylar whispered lowly.

"Mom." She whispered as a tear fell down her cheek.

* * *

 **"Sweetheart, come here." Her mom's soft voice whispered from her usual perch on the ledge of her bed.**

 **Skylar's small feet shuffled towards the bed, climbing up as best as her small self could before her mother pulled her crying form into her side.**

 **"I know how hard it is honey, to be going through something like this at such a young age." Her mother whispered, both attempting to fight the tears that were threatening to burst at the seams.**

 **"But remember sweetie, things happen for a reason, even if we don't know what it is. Someday, everything will make perfect sense, but for now, laugh at the confusion, smile through the tears and keep reminding yourself….." Her mother began to explain to her before her small voice interrupted.**

 **"that everything happens for a reason."**

* * *

She knew the quotes her cousin decided to drop on her, made little to no sense considering the situation they were in, but, that didn't matter to her, her mother was her everything growing up. Her back bone, her bridge over the roughest waters, her light in the darkness.

Hearing just that come from her cousin, set something aflame in her chest that she had to take a step back just to take in a deep breath of air.

"Sky…." Tony stepped up concerned by the pale complexion that took over his cousins face. Skylar on the other hand, shot a hand up to stop him from coming any closer and shook her head as she leaned over, her hands perched on her knees.

"I'm alright, give me a minute." She whispered as she stared at the dirty ground beneath her, her breath shallowing just a bit at the memory that had crossed her path.

It had been some time since her mother had come to mind, but she couldn't have chosen a better time to invade her mind.

"Your mom always had the best things to say when you were in a hole, even the deepest hole." Tony commented, turning back to the scene playing out in front of him.

"No matter what the situation, she always had some insight, always a way to look through it and into the brighter side of things." Tony added, a small smile unconsciously coming to his features.

"You were her least favorite nephew, always getting into trouble." Skylar commented as imagined her mother always yelling at Tony whenever they had gone over to visit his family.

"I was her only nephew, and she loved me, for your information." Tony shot back playfully as she slowly pulled herself to stand, smiling albeit forcefully at him.

It suddenly grew quiet between the two as the tension continued to roll with every flicker of light coming off of the Avenger Tower.

"What are we going to do?" Skylar finally whispered, her mother's voice nagging her in the back of her mind.

"Here we are, the last living Starks and we have no plan." Tony teased causing her to snort as she wiped at her face once more.

"All these abilities and yet, I'm still helpless." She looked down to her dirty hands in aggravation.

"Helpless? Never were, you just need that extra push to get you going." A voice, one they hadn't expected to hear, rang through the room from behind them.

Both Starks spun on their heels, ice cold shock shooting through their frames at the two figures standing just feet behind them.

Their jaws dropped, their eyes unable to catch on to who they were seeing standing directly in front of them, as if they hadn't aged a day past 30.

"Close your jaw son. It's rude to gawk." Howard's voice spoke as Tony's bottom lip stuttered, unable to find words to speak as his father approached his side, taking a good look outside.

"This isn't real." Skylar shook her head, still finding it impossible to pull her eyes from the woman slowly approaching her.

"As real as life itself." Her mother's voice rang through the room as she smiled at her daughter.

"But, this is the dimension of the dead….where the evil…." Skylar couldn't make any sense of it, seeing as she knew the type of beings that resided here, there was no possible way someone like her mother or her uncle would be placed here.

"Relax Skylar, we both know what this place holds and you are right, we do not belong here." Howard glanced over at his sister-in-law briefly before looking to his niece.

"Then what are you doing here?" Skylar whispered, still in shock.

"To help." Her mother answered as Skylar's eyes panned to meet hers.

"How? We're in the other dimension and every evil thing here is currently making its way to earth!" Skylar spat out frustrated, her hand viciously pointing out the window to the beam of light in the distance.

"I don't know about you two, but the odds aren't really in our favor this time around." Tony added as Howard glared at him in disapproval.

"Given up so easily?" Howard asked with an arched brow.

"Um, wouldn't you?" Tony gestured wildly to the show going on before them.

"No." Howard didn't even bother looking at the scene as he looked his son dead in the eye.

"Starks don't give up, especially with our minds." Howard proudly added sending Tony figuratively deflating before looking to his cousin, completely annoyed at his ghost of a father.

"What your uncle is trying to say is, why are you both so quick to give up on your friends and family waiting back on earth? When have you ever given up on them before?" Her mother looked at her now, with soft eyes, eyes she remembered vividly.

"Mom, it's not like we're not trying, we just don't have a way of helping. I don't know how to control this." Skylar pressed before she felt her mother's warm hand press to her chest.

"You have everything you need, in here. All the control you need, is here." Her mother offered as Tony sighed.

"Not like we're not happy to see the two of you, we really are, but for once, could we possibly stop speaking in riddles and get on with it. I don't think Earth has the time for us to sit here and pass on words of wisdom." Tony whined impatiently while her mother completely ignored his rant.

"I know everything you have gone through in life hasn't always been the best dear, but you have always handled it with an open heart, one thing that makes you who you are. Even after everything that happened this year alone, it has put so much pressure and stress on you that you can't find it in you not to blame yourself. But that's where you're wrong honey. If not you, someone else would have suffered in your stead, someone would be suffering now, alone, but not you, you have so much support, support that is like an unmoving wall." Her mother grabbed her shoulders, looking her dead in the eye.

"You are a bright, selfless, kind, openhearted and open minded woman, Skylar, one that has gone through so much turmoil in life yet continues to hold her head high. Not many people could go through what you have and come out stronger than you once were." Her mother whispered with a small smile.

"You have so much darkness, regret and guilt building up inside of you Sky that you have completely forgotten what you really stand for."

"But you cannot continue to stand here and mope in the darkness while your friends and the man you love is fighting a losing battle. Could you stomach seeing them pass, fighting for you while you sit here and mope?" Her mother stressed further as Skylar shut her eyes, tears silently falling down her cheeks as she shook her head.

"None of this is your fault and if you are going to continue to blame yourself no matter what anyone says, then I have one more thing to say to you." Her mother stood, staring down at her seriously.

"Don't take on the blame alone. It is HYDRA's fault everything has happened. Don't let them get away with it." Howard joined her mother's side, nodding in agreement with what she had said.

"Put those minds to good use you two and give HYDRA hell." Howard added with a grin.

"God gave you this life because he knew that you were strong enough to live it. You were given these abilities for a reason, Skylar, use them, and don't give up just yet. " Her mother whispered once more, leaning down to press a kiss to her daughters forehead as the light in Skylar's eyes changed.

The two pulled away slowly from them as Skylar took a hesitant step towards her mother's disappearing figure.

"Will I see you again mom?" She asked hesitantly, her mother's words working quickly through her mind, eating at her guilt.

"We're never far away honey, just a bit difficult to get to." Her mother dodged around the question, knowing she would not like the answer she received.

"Tony, watch over Skylar would ya? I know she won't admit it, but she looks up to you like an older brother." Her mother added as Skylar gasped in embarrassment.

"Do not!" She shouted in defense while Tony looked down at her proudly.

"See, I knew you did." He teased as she glared at him, using her telepathy to knock him on his ass, grinning at his shout of pain.

"Take good care of each other and the others. They need you both." Howard added, smiling at the scene.

"And tell my future son-in-law, I expect a visit soon. I would like to official meet the Captain." Her mother grinned brightly at her joke, watching proudly as a bright blush crossed her daughter's features while Tony was fighting his laughter on the ground.

"Love you sweetheart."

"I'm so telling Capsicle about this when we see them."

"Shut up."

* * *

Across the world, on the complete opposite side, a quite man sat rigid as the small television in his run down and plain apartment began to broadcast something happening in New York City.

The female reporter was trying hard to get the news across as she dodged panicked city goers who were running away from the large black opening in the sky.

"Just a moment ago, this black hole type phenomenon you see behind me, began!" She shouted, gesturing wildly behind her.

"The military and our cities mayor have made an official announcement to evacuate New York City!"

"Many are assuming that the Avengers have once again aggravated the wrong crowd, which has led to this happening!" The female reporter was obviously growing more and more frustrated and angered by the happenings.

Bucky pulled himself to stand suddenly as the camera panned the infamous Avengers Tower in the distance, where the distinct blue light was emitting from.

"Skylar." His raspy voice whispered in a panic, his mechanical arm whirling and clenching at the scene unfolding before him.

"Wait! There's something coming out of it!" A man to the side of the camera shouted as the camera zoomed in as far as humanely possible. Various people stopped to face the portal as the same movement caught their attention, their eyes widening in horror as various dark shadows and masses, screaming and screeching, began to slip one by one from the dark hole.

It wasn't long before that dark mass took its attention to the city below, quickly causing more panic and destruction as the female reporter began to run for her life as one particular shadow took interest in her.

Bucky bit down on his lip, his entire form going rigid as he quickly one and one together, easily recognizing what exactly what happening.

Hydra had found Skylar.

* * *

"Um guys, about that plan, someone better whip something up quick!" Sam shouted over as the first of many demented beings shot down through the ceiling into the middle of the pent house.

Everyone's eyes took in the floating mass as it floated around the room briefly before settling just a few feet in front of them.

"Ah, the Captain." A murky voice spoke from the cloud before it slowly began to form in front of him.

"I can't be." Steve's eyes widened in horror as the form took on a familiar one.

"It is vice to vee you again."

"Dr. Zola."

* * *

"So what's the plan, little sister?" Tony was going to enjoy the newest information that his aunt had given him and smirked when he heard her snort from beside him.

"My mom was right, we can't give on them, especially when they have never given up on us." After a moment of silence, Skylar's words took on a serious note as she glanced over at her cousin who only nodded in agreement.

"But we're in the other dimension, with no tech, no weapons, no 'anything'. How do you expect to help when we're on the other side, literally?" Tony continued to point out with a frustrated huff.

Skylar on the other hand, stared searchingly at the beam of light emitting from the building and into the sky. How was she going to help indeed. She had no idea but something her mother said continued to sit on repeat in her mind.

 _"_ _You have everything you need, in here. All the control you need, is here."_

Her mother's voice echoed through her mind on a loop before her eyes shot open when she felt a hand on her chest. Glancing down, expecting to see someone's hand on her, she was struck surprised when she realized it was her own.

"Sky, you okay there?" Her cousin's voice pulled her from her thoughts as a new sense of determination set in her heart as she met her cousin's eyes.

"I know what to do."

She finally understood what her mother meant when she said that. The power to stop everything, to help everyone and to save earth, laid inside her.

The bridge was open through her and she knew, if she tried hard enough, she could find the power to stop it and save everyone.

"Come on!" She grabbed Tony's hand before the man could ask for an explanation, yanking him from the room and out of the building as quick as her legs could carry her.

"Wait for me." She whispered as the pair ran down the empty roads of New York, her eyes set in a hard determination with revenge boiling in her blood.

It was finally her turn to save everyone.

* * *

 **There it is! A bit of action and seriously like my favorite chapter by far!**

 **Hope you all enjoyed it! Updated it early because I just couldn't wait for you all to read this chapter that I basically wrote out in 2 days haha**

 **Thanksgiving is tomorrow and I have a family packed weekend set up, so I'm not sure if I'll be able to update on Sunday but I promise I will definitely try!**

 **I hope you all have a beautiful and blessed Thanksgiving with all your families!**

 **Happy Thanksgiving!**

 **See ya!**


	38. Chapter 38

**So, I barely got this chapter out in time today. This week has just been one hectic day after another ;_; doesn't help that I'm leading the decorating team for our Christmas party that is literally a week away. I feel like crying. My garage is littered from floor to ceiling with handmade Christmas décor. I seriously cannot wait for Saturday to be done and over with.**

 **Anyways, this chapter is hella long lol but unfortunately, not one I'm completely proud of. I struggled, hard, with this chapter. I wrote it and erased it about 20X and still I couldn't pick a version that I liked and ended up staying with this version of what I whipped up.**

 **I'm hoping and praying that I did this chapter justice for all of you. I'm not used to writing fighting scenes just yet so there is only bits and pieces of it here and there. Mostly this chapter focuses in on the group's emotional turmoil and Skylar finding herself a bit more. But I promise, the next chapter, which will be the last chapter of this series, will be lighter and stress free.**

 **I hope that you still enjoy this chapter!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Marvel or its characters.**

* * *

The screeching of the black masses of what once were people, got louder and louder the higher up the tower they went. Running as fast as their legs could carry them while Skylar forcefully listened to Tony's continuous whining about not having the ability to fly, they took floor by floor as best as they could. That's when something that Skylar had realized earlier, crossed her mind. She came to a complete halt in the middle of the stairway, sending Tony careening into her back as he hadn't noticed her stop.

"What the hell?" He muttered confused, stepping back a step before glancing up at her concerned.

"You holding up okay there Sky?" Tony asked out of breath, completely okay with stopping as he felt like his lungs were going to explode any minute. Running 50 stories with no rest, he was more surprised that Skylar was still standing. The woman hated exercising and running more than anything.

"Tony, how are you here?" She spun to meet him with desperate eyes, catching him off guard as he hadn't been expecting such an outburst.

"Uh, no idea." He shrugged unsure, his eyes furrowing as he watched her expression.

"This is the dimension of the dead so does that mean you're….." Skylar's face paled further and further before Tony sighed and shook his head.

"I'm not dead, if that's where that was heading. Well, I'm positive I'm not dead but as for how I'm here, honestly, can't really tell you cause I have absolutely no fucking clue. They mugged me in the living room before I could call out for Friday. I saw one of them with some weird contraption on his head before I was grabbed by something I couldn't see. I'm assuming that was those nasty bastards." He muttered as he mentioned the shadow beings from earlier.

"Contraption on his head? Collins." She realized as Tony squinted his eyes in thought before nodding.

"Yeah, now that you mention it, that weird bastard did look like that douche bag."

"So, you're still alive then? Your body is still back on Earth?" Skylar's eyes widened as she grabbed his shoulders, hoping that the answer was yes. She was praying to the gods that someone had just thrown his consciousness here and not his entire body.

"Yeah, last I remember, I had this out of body experience, thought I was drunk for a moment and then woke up here. You popped in not long after." Tony explained, pulling his face further from hers at the crazy look in her eyes.

"Oh thank god." She sighed out in relief, hanging her head.

"Okay, not that I don't appreciate the worry and concern but why does it matter how I got here?" He asked confused as she lifted her eyes to meet his.

"Well for one, you are technically supposed to be dead to be here, aside from me. But I'm assuming HYDRA has been busy and found out that if those entities can travel to Earth that they can travel back here also." She explained, leaning against the stair wall to take in a deep breath of relief.

"And two?" Tony asked as Skylar continued to stare up the various stair cases they had yet to climb before something seemed to click inside her mind.

"Sky?" Tony asked, stepping up onto the same step as her, grabbing her face to yank her from her thoughts.

"Tony, I just thought of something. I know how to get you back to Earth." She whispered in realization, sending his eyes widening in hope.

* * *

"Where is she?! What did you do with her?!" Steve couldn't reign in his anger as he stared at the ghost of his nemesis that took both his best friend and the love of his life.

The shorter man instead chuckled deeply, glancing over to see Collins nod in his general direction.

"It is so nice to see you once again, Captain. Still fighting zee good fight ?" Zola mocked as he slowly approached the group pinned to the walls of the room.

"Where is Sky?!" Steve thrashed, his muscles bulging as he attempted to pull himself from the wall, Thor and the Hulk close behind him.

"Ah her, vell, she is doing vhat she was created to do. Vhat more must you know?" Zola answered, briefly glancing over at the woman still kneeling in the middle of the room, currently encased in a violet cocoon of power.

"She was not created to do this! Not your dirty work you son of a bitch!" Clint snapped as Zola glanced over at him amused, snickering.

"You obviously have not seen vhat she is truly capable of. Vhat power." Zola stared at her form impressed.

"Now zat zee bridge is open, the vorld vill truly see vhat HYDRA is really capable of. And you, you all vill vatch zee vorld you love so much, burn to the ground zanks to your friend." Zola added proudly as he approached the broken windows, gazing down at the sight before him.

"HYDRA vill take zis vorld back, here and now."

* * *

"I thought we were heading to the roof?" Tony asked, not sure what his cousin was thinking as he was dragged into an empty room and told to sit on the ground.

"I will, later, but for now you need to trust me." She explained as she quickly situated herself right across from him on the floor.

"Wait, 'I'? I'm not going with you? Skylar, there is no way in hell I'm leaving you here alone!" Tony began to protest, attempting to climb off the ground before Skylar yanked him back down with a sigh.

"Tony, just listen to me for once! One of us needs to go back and help the others, when I left, things weren't looking up for the team." She whined as he narrowed his eyes in determination.

"Fine, then I'll stay, you go. They need you more than they need me." Tony spat back as she rolled her eyes, gripping his face between her hands.

"I can send you back but I can't bring you back, do you understand that logic Tony? If I go back without you, I don't know what'll happen to you. I don't even know if I'll be able to find you again or if your consciousness will survive here much longer. You need to go." She scolded him, begging him to see her way of things.

"Sky, I….." Tony's voice lowered and shook as he quickly glanced back down into his lap, unable to meet her eyes.

Skylar on the other hand smiled softly, not used to seeing this caring side of her cousin. Still smiling, she reached over for his hands and held them in her own.

"I know Tony, you don't have to say anything. I'll be fine though. I've been here many times before. If my consciousness couldn't handle this place any longer, I would have disappeared long ago. I'll find a way out, I promise." She whispered, tilting her head in attempt to meet his eyes, though she heard him sniffle before anything.

"Capsicle is going to kill me." He muttered, pulling one of his hands free to innocently wipe his face as if he got something in his eyes.

"Yeah, well, let me deal with him once I get back, kay?" She quirked a brow, finally meeting his red brimmed eyes as he sighed.

"If my dad were still here, he'd kill me for leaving you alone. I mean, I just promised your mom, just two seconds ago that I'd look after you and here we are, making plans to ditch you here. I feel like karma is going to turn around and bite me in the ass any moment now." Tony sarcastically added, attempting to hide his true feelings.

"Well that mountain of karma you've been building hasn't crumble yet, I think you'll be fine." She teased as he playfully glared at her before scoffing.

"So, what's the plan?" He changed the subject as she sighed, forcefully smiling over at him.

"I'm going to tap into the conscious part of your mind and force you back into your body, or at least that's what I plan on doing." She shrugged as he stared at her suspiciously.

"Have you done this before or should I expect to return to my body speaking fluent Russian and thinking I'm 12 years old?" He asked hesitantly causing her to snort.

"I've been working with Wanda and VI, it'll be fine, you'll be fine." She reassured, noticing he was still staring at her suspiciously.

"Uh, fine, let's get this over with but I expect you to be back on Earth soon. Don't make me find a way to bring Capsicle back with me." Tony threatened as she sighed, shaking her head, silently begging him to never bring Steve to this place.

"No way in hell, I don't want him anywhere near this place." She muttered, crossing her legs before scooting closer to him.

"I better not return with webbed feet. Russian I can handle, webbed feet, no." He quickly informed her causing her to whack him annoyed.

"Would you just trust in me this once? Geez!" She shouted irritated, pushing his hands away from her so that she could reach up, pressing her pointer fingers to his temples.

"Is it going to hurt?" Tony then asked once it grew quiet between the two.

"It'll be quick, I promise." She whispered, shutting her eyes as she took a deep breath.

"Once you get back, get suited and get to the others. I'll get there as soon as I can." She explained seriously as Tony nodded once from under her hands.

"You better come back." He muttered before stiffening as she the power surged through her body and straight into his mind.

She had remembered talking to Wanda and VI about the possibility of having to bring someone back to Earth, if it ever came down to that, and thank god she had brought it up to the two. She knew how to get her cousin back.

"Take care of them." She whispered once more as she got a good tight grip on his consciousness. Before Tony could reject the movement at her words, she yanked his consciousness back into the forefront of his mind, throwing his mind back into his body back of Earth.

* * *

"Sky. No." Tony whispered as he groggily blinked his tear filled eyes before opening them to find him lying on the ground of his bedroom.

She had sent him back, alone.

* * *

"I have vaited too long for zis." Zola announced proudly, watching the destruction outside the window.

"Once I get my hands on you, I'm gonna….." Steve fought against the binds Skylar had on them all, catching the shorter mans attention as he chuckled, looking at the ground amused.

"Vat makes you zink you'll be able to escape your binds ven even your resident monster and demi-god cannot?" Zola perked a brow amused as both thrashed violently against their spots on the wall.

"Nothing you do vill save you or zis planet." Zola whispered proudly sending the group thrashing again.

"Well, well, well, look who we have here." A new voice entered the room as everyone's eyes flashed over to said man. Two people in particular, set their eyes in a glare at the man strolling in like he owned the place, while the others stared at him confused.

"Who the hell are you?!" Sam shouted furiously as the man took his place beside Zola.

"Howard?" Steve asked in shock, seeing the resemblance to said man plain as day on the man standing in front of them.

"Pfft, my brother wishes he were me." The man muttered irritated with Steve's answer. It took a minute for Steve to realize who he was while everyone easily pinned on who he was.

"You're….." Steve's heart soared in anger, his hands clenching against the invisible restraints as he saw red.

"Yes, I'm sure my beautiful niece told you all about me." The man approached, slipping his hands into his pockets as he approached the group, unfearfully, briefly glancing at the kneeling form of Skylar in the middle of the room.

"This is the bastard that…" Sam began to ask as the man glared at him, silently telling him to shut up.

"Yes, Yes, Yes, I'm Harry Stark. The one and only, blah, blah, blah." He rolled his eyes, crossing his arms before glancing back at Steve who looked to be silently planning how to kill the man, slowly.

"You must be the one she spoke about? Not much to look at if you ask me." He looked him up and down uninterested, with an uncaring shrug.

"Not sure what she sees in you, aside from the usual blue eyes, blonde hair, buff bod, typical." He scoffed, smirking as Steve shouted loudly, wanting nothing than to reach out and strangle the man till he was black and blue.

"You…..I'll kill you." Nat whispered threateningly, only seeing red as she stared at the man responsible for her best friend's pain sending the man turning to stare at her, unfazed.

"Sorry darling, but you'll have to stand in line. From what I've gathered, that line in considerably long." He smirked, glancing once more at Steve before Zola called him. He peered over his shoulder at the shorter man and nodded subtly.

"Well, looks like my fun here is done. I'm a little upset I won't be able to pester Skylar again, once all of this is done and over with." He stopped just beside her form, gazing down at her.

"Get away from her!" Thor shouted loudly as he glanced back unfazed.

"'Once all of this is done and over with?' What is that supposed to mean?" Clint spat, realizing what the man had said as he turned to peer at them.

"Might as well tell them, shouldn't we? Not like it'll change anything." Harry announced over to Zola who snickered disgustingly and nodded.

"Vat he means to say is, once all of our troops are zrough, zee portal, zee power behind it vill overturn." Zola stepped up as the group visibly paled, though not one of them understood exactly what his words meant.

"Cut the shit and tell us!" Sam snapped as Zola's eyes met his.

"She vas never meant to survive. Zee power coming off of her, zee amount of electromagnetic force behind her abilities, no human mind or body can hold such an amount and hope to live zrough it." Zola answered, giving word to the horror pouring through everyone's forms.

"No." Steve whispered in horror, his eyes widening and filling with tears as he stared down at her form.

"Vee never zought it possible for someone of zis vorld to achieve vat she has, yet here we are. Back on earth and ready to set our plan in motion, zanks to her." Zola smirked, amused with the reaction he was pulling from the almighty Captain.

"You're….you're lying." Clint whispered, his heart tightening with the prospect that Skylar would not survive what was happening to her.

"You wish we were." Harry laughed loudly.

"Her unconscious mind is zee bridge between vorlds. Ven HYDRA created her enhancements, zey never knew zey vould achieve such a zing. As time passed, her abilities grew along wiz her mind, vich I'm sure you all have noticed. No human is capable of accessing 95% of zeir mind, or so zey zought. Ms. Stark is zee only living human on Earth vith zis capability. Unfortunately, vee vill lose her, but don't fret, she vill be zee greatest sacrifice to our cause."

* * *

Skylar slowly pulled her eyes open, her hands dropping from the empty space in front of her.

She had known all along that she could send him back but sending herself back, she knew that if she attempted it, there was a chance she would not survive. Sighing, she sniffled a bit, shrugging off the emotions before she pulled herself to stand.

Ignoring the nagging of death in the back of her mind, she pushed herself to climb the last few floors alone before pushing the roof door open. The screeching both her and Tony had heard earlier was louder than ever as she slowly approached the large beam of light still carrying entities beyond her sight.

She knew what she had to do, what she needed to do. She could close the portal with enough electric energy, like she used on that shadow that had snuck up on her while she was with Tony. She remembered hearing the beast screech as she electrocuted it. She also remembered how pissed Tony was that she had left a scorch mark in its wake.

Chuckling under her breath at the memory, she sighed, glancing down to her clenched hands before sighing.

Even with death staring her in the face, she had to save her family, to save earth.

"I am a superhero after all." She attempted to lighten to blow in her pounding heart, though that did nothing to push down the fear growing.

* * *

"Anyways, we have a world to destroy and a kingdom to build." Harry brushed off the sudden solemn feeling running through the room as he turned from the group.

"You all have the best seats in the house to the best show on earth." Harry chuckled, walking backwards as he threw his hands in the air in celebration.

"Wait for those fireworks, that'll be the finale!" He laughed manically, clapping his hands before patting the doctor's shoulder.

"Before long, you all will be bowing to HYDRA, the very group you have sworn to protect the world from. How does it feel huh? To have that same group, destroy your planet?" Harry stopped his walk over to the exit, turning in interest to the group, only wanting to rub salt in their wounds.

"This isn't over." Nat whispered in anger, her eyes flashing around the room for anything of use to get them free. But honestly, how? They were being held up by an invisible force. It's not she could cut through it, there was physically nothing there.

"Oh, zis is over, long over. Vee have already von." Zola added proudly as he nodded at Harry to continue what he was doing.

"We will never let you win." Steve added back, less then confident as he sniffed back the tears.

Who were they kidding?

They had lost.

* * *

"You'll forgive me if I don't make it through this, right baby?" She whispered, knowing no one could hear her as she psyched herself out to do what she had to.

"If I don't, I hope tony tells you how much I love you and still will forever." She added, sighing as tears began to fill her eyes.

"But the earth is in trouble and this is the only way I can close it." She whispered, hanging her head as the tears spilled from them and onto the cement below her.

"I want you to move on, forget about me and find love again. I don't want you to suffer because of me." She let out a broke sob, holding a hand over her mouth.

She knew crying wasn't going to help anyone and sniffled, wiping her face frantically before sighing out.

"I'm going to protect you. You and my family." She whispered in determination as her eyes flashed violet, her hands slowly lifting to face her palms up at the portal.

"I'm done letting you hurt my family." She whispered as she felt the electricity run up from her toes, up her spine and to her fingertips where they sparked viciously.

"It ends here!" She shouted angrily, allowing that same power to run freely through her body, using it as a vessel as electricity shot from her form and straight into the portal above her sending whatever entities that were close enough, screaming in pain before exploding at the power behind it.

* * *

Tony slowly pushed himself off his back onto his hands and knees where he buried his face deep into the wooden floor beneath, sobbing out loudly as his nails scrapped the wood.

Skylar knew that there was a chance she would not be able to return. She had known that all along and yet she had promised him that she could return.

But she sent him back, sent him back with the thought that she wouldn't be able to follow.

"Sky." He whispered through tears, his heart breaking crack by crack at the thought of never seeing her again.

"I'm sorry." Tony wasn't used to apologizing but the thought of never seeing his only living relative again, a girl he loved beyond words, his heart continued to shatter with guilt.

"Wait for the fireworks, that'll be the finale!" He suddenly heard a very familiar voice shout from somewhere nearby as Tony's head shot up from the floor.

"It can't be…." He whispered, sniffling as he yanked himself to stand, anger quickly replacing the guilt that was suffocating him.

"Harry." He hissed, pulling his arm up, taping in a code into his bracelet before his closet opened, pieces of his suit shooting out and clinging to him with ease.

"Before long, you all will be bowing to HYDRA, the very group you have sworn to protect the world from. How does it feel huh? To have that same group, destroy your planet?" The familiar voice continued to laugh as Tony marched down the hallway, decked from head to toe in his newest suit.

"This isn't over." He heard Nat whisper shout from her place against the wall as he hid, waiting for the perfect opportunity to pop in.

"Oh, zis is over, long over. Vee have already von." Tony glared at the shorter man.

"I'm assuming that psychotic midget in Dr. Zola?" Tony asked into his suit irritated.

"You are right sir." Friday answered, relief filling him finding out she still functioned properly through his suit.

"We will never let you win." Steve voice spoke next as Tony lifted his head to peer into what was left of his living room and kitchen.

"Friday, give me a run down on the tech through the building." Tony commanded as he glanced out one of the windows leading to the city, watching as various explosions continued to go off while the city people shouted in terror.

"Stark Tower is completely shut down sir. You're suit is the only thing in the tower processing any sort of technology because of the blocked program you added in last month." Friday explained as Tony nodded, his mind continuing to bounce back and forth between what he needed to do and what he wanted to do.

"First things first, that bastard should be dead." He muttered under his breath, turning to the room that his uncle was still inhabiting.

"Friday, send our Stark rescue and aid, have them re-route the people into the subway stations." Tony commanded, finally approaching the room a bit louder this time.

"Well, well, well, I'm sure I killed you all those years ago." Tony spoke up as he stepped into the room, lifting his hand, shooting a repulsor beam at Dr. Zola who disappeared in a puff of black smoke.

"Tony! Stark!" The group shouted in relief just as Harry turned to face the ironed man.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't my brother's protégé?" Harry mocked causing Tony to growl, turning to his cousin's form still kneeling on the ground.

"Sorry about this Sky." He lifted hand to her, ignoring the groups shouts to stop.

"This might hurt a bit." He whispered, shooting a non-lethal beam at her, knocking her form over, sprawling her across the floor before the hold pinning the group to the wall, disappeared, sending them all falling to the ground in surprise.

"Stark!" Steve shouted as he shot off the ground, finally able to feel his limbs.

"Not really in the hugging mood Capsicle, plus, there's a bastard here that needs my undivided attention right now." Tony spat out, turning his attention to the man that hadn't moved from the doorway of the room.

"Romanoff, get Sky out of here and away from the fighting. Maximoff…" Tony pushed as Nat ran over to her friends form with no hesitation, ignoring the violet light that was still emitting from her.

Stark had started to explain to Wanda what had happened in the other dimension but the woman had beat him to the punch, instantly knowing what had happened as she allowed herself into Tony's mind briefly.

"I'll do what I can." Wanda promised as Tony sighed and nodded.

"Banner, Thor, Cap, Wilson, VI. Help get everyone to safety!" Tony added.

"What about the portal?" Clint shouted over as he peeked up through the opening in the ceiling.

"Skylar's taking care of it." Was all he said before he shot over, pinning his uncle to the wall by his throat before anyone could question him about Skylar.

"All that money, all that smarts, and you go and make yourself a transformers suit." Harry cackled from under his hold only pissing off Tony further.

"I enjoyed killing you the first time, this time, I'm gonna make sure you stay dead!" Tony snapped only sending his uncle smiling wider.

"I'm dead already, how do you plan on killing me?" Harry's form fizzed slightly from under Tony, confusing and scaring the man slightly.

"Stark! It's no use! Let him go!" Cap snapped from behind him as Harry's form fizzed into a puff of smoke, easily avoiding Stark's hold before reappearing across the room.

"Yeah 'stark' it's no use." Harry mocked while Tony and Cap stared at him unamused.

"You won't win this time, not against us. We have so much going for us and nothing going for you." Harry proudly added as the metal in Tony's suit groaned as his hands clenched into fists.

"Right now, all I care about it beating the living snot out of you and making you pay for what you did to Skylar. But I much rather watch you and the rest of HYDRA scum burn away once we win this, and we will." Steve confidence was nothing but a bluff as he glared at the man's back.

"You know, my brother spoke of you, many times before." Harry suddenly mentioned, catching Steve off guard as he narrowed his eyes.

"The man out of time. America's Golden Boy." Harry mockingly wiggled his fingers before snorting.

"But you are nothing but a man in a costume, parading around with an oversized Frisbee, living on the 15 minutes of fame crashing a plane gave you." Harry continued to mock as Steve hardened his eyes.

"I see the resemblance between you two." Steve hissed over to Tony who had also remembered telling Steve something similar years ago when Loki had come to earth.

"Yeah, not something I'm proud of." Tony muttered back under his breath.

"As hard as it is for me to say, a lot of us wouldn't be here if it's weren't for Capsicle here and his sacrifice. You tell us we won't win but you haven't realized how many times we have heard wannabe bad guys, like yourself, tell us those exact words." It was Tony's turn to mock the man who now glared at the two.

"We have been told that way too many times to count and honestly, I'm tired of proving you bastards wrong." He smirked from under his mask, though he knew no one could see it.

"We beat you all once before and we'd gladly do it again."

Harry scoffed at his nephews words before his form quickly fizzed out of view before disappearing.

"How are we supposed to kill something that is already dead?" Steve asked bluntly, worry and concern evident on his face.

"No idea but Sky…" Tony began to say before freezing as Steve's eyes slowly turned to him.

"Stark." Steve addressed slowly, his eyes taking in the mask of Iron Man, wishing he could see the billionaires face.

"She's in the other dimension. They sent me there too and I met up with her. God, she's gonna kill me for telling you this." Tony sighed out, his metal hands 'tinking' against his hips as he stared down at his feet.

"She sent me back to help you guys out. I knew I should have noticed something off when she first mentioned the plan but I didn't catch it till it was too late. SO much for being a genius." He muttered the last part, slapping a metal hand to his head while Steve's eyes grew watery.

"Stark, what are you trying to say?" Steve whispered, unsure if he really wanted to hear what the man had to say.

"She can close the portal, she said she knew how to." Tony pushed desperately as Steve continued to stare at him as if he grew another head.

"But?" Steve asked hesitantly as Tony sighed again.

"The amount of power she'd have to use to do so, she knew there was a slim chance that she would even make it. "Tony whispered as the last of Steve's heart shattered into his gut. His breathing grew heavier and heavier before he was seeing spots in his vision.

"She could close the portal but….getting back through it and back to us, she…." Tony hung his head, feeling his own emotions get the best of him.

"She wanted to protect us all, to save us but….." Tony unconsciously sniffled before hearing the loud thud of something heavy beside him. Slowly turning his head, he glanced down to see that Steve was now on his hands and knees, silently sobbing into the floor beneath him.

He couldn't lose her, no. He wouldn't survive without her by his side.

"Sir, the portal…" Friday's voice startled the billionaire from his tears as he marched over, peeking up through the broken ceiling at the portal. That's when his eyes widened, noticing the sparks of electricity snapping from the inside of the portal.

"Cap, you might want to see this." Tony waved over as Steve forcefully pulled himself to stand, wiping the tears from his face before dragging himself beside the billionaire.

"It's Sky. She's closing the portal." Tony whispered as his suit's eye zoomed in on the portal, watching as the electricity fizzed and attacked the ring of the portal, forcing it to slowly close.

"No! Impossible!" A voice suddenly shouted as the two men snapped their heads over to see that the doctor had returned.

"What was that about not winning?" Tony mocked as Dr. Zola growled before shouting for Collins, who they hadn't even realized had disappeared from the room.

"Cap, I know it's hard to come to facts with the chance that we may never see Sky again but, we can't let her do this alone. She still needs us, the people of New York need us, no matter how fucking annoying they are." Tony turned to face Cap who continued to stare up at the portal in a trance.

"You're starting to sound like her now." Cap's raspy voice spoke up as he met familiar brown eyes.

"Yeah well, what can I say? Spending some time with her in the other dimension, kind of rubbed off on me. I don't smell like death do I?" He began to sniff his metal pits as Steve rolled his eyes, taking in a shaky breath.

"Come on, let's go. We can help her as best as we can from this side." Steve sighed out in defeat, turning on his heels to make his way out of the building.

"Come on Sky, at least try to get back to us." Tony whispered to himself before he shot out the window and down into the streets below.

* * *

It felt like the power inside her was slowly ripping her body apart, piece by piece. It got stronger and stronger to the point that her angry shouting had slowly turned into painful screams. It felt like lava was flowing through her veins, that same feeling she remembered waking up to when the team had first pulled her back home, but it intensified beyond any capable words.

She wanted to stop, to drop to the ground screaming for the pain to stop but she couldn't. She knew she couldn't. People on the other side were depending on her. Tony. Steve. Nat. Clint. Sam. Bruce. Thor. The people of New York.

She was the only one that could do something to stop the attacks she knew was happening on the other side but she also knew at this rate, with the amount of power and pain going through her, in no time, her body and mind would give out.

Her assumption had been right from the beginning.

She could save them but she couldn't save herself.

Was she really alright with this? Going out this way? Never to see Steve again.

Sure, it broke her heart to think about it, adding to the pain still growing inside her but, she would go out saving her own people.

Steve.

She inwardly sighed at his smiling face crossed her features. If she could just speak to him one last time, get him to understand why she was doing this, then maybe, maybe she'd be a bit more open to dying.

Tears filled her eyes as the screaming of the entities around her continued to grow.

"Steve, I'm sorry." She whispered, though she had no idea that somehow, as her power surge grew, it gave a certain red head on the other side, an opening to find her.

" _Sky_." A familiar voice whispered in her mind as she opened her violet eyes and glanced up at the slowly closing portal.

She knew that voice.

"Wanda?" She whispered back through clenched teeth.

" _I've found you_." Her bell like giggle entered her mind as she groaned in pain.

"What…." Sky whispered through the pain still coursing through her body.

" _It's alright. I'm here to help. Tony showed me what happened. I had hoped to find your consciousness somewhere and I have_." Wanda's voice sounded like a whisper deep in the background of her mind.

"I can close the portal." She gasped out, feeling like her legs were moments from giving away.

" _I'm more worried about you_." Wanda confessed in sadness.

" _I can feel your body giving out, your consciousness is slowly slipping into darkness_." Wanda added, tears welling up in her mind.

"I can close it but….I don't think I'll make it." Skylar added, sobbing out as another ripple of power shot through her spine.

" _I can help you Skylar. I can try to pull you back as you close the portal. But you have to let me_." Wanda offered through tears as Skylar shut her violet eyes.

"Do me a favor Wanda." Skylar offered as she blinked back the continuous amount of tears gathering in her eyes.

"Tell Steve I love him, so much and always will." By now, Skylar was talking in a normal voice as if Wanda was standing right in front of her.

"Tell him that I'm sorry too." She broke down again as Wanda began to silently cry from the other side, Natasha watching silently in horror by the woman's unknown tears.

" _Sky, I can help you, I can try to pull you back over, please_." Wanda begged softly for her friend to allow her to help.

"Help the others Wanda." Skylar collapsed to her hands and knees while the electricity coming off of her continued on.

" _No, you need my help more than anyone, I will not leave you there!_ " Wanda scolded this time, startling Nat who hadn't been expecting to hear the woman's voice.

"It's cold here." Skylar whispered as her limbs began to slowly give out sending her sprawling face first on the rooftop.

" _Skylar_ ….." Wanda's voice was beginning to sound like it was underwater as her body now grew numb.

The last thing she felt before darkness was a pulse, like no other one before, pulsate from her heart and mind. The screaming of the entities halted completely as silence replaced their once loud noise.

She knew, she had defeated them.

* * *

Wanda begged her friend to listen to her before a pulse of power shot from the woman's body, knocking both her and Nat off their feet and across the room.

"What the hell was that?!" Nat shouted as she yanked herself from the ground, crawling quickly to Skylar's side to check her pulse.

Wanda shook the daze from her mind, pushing herself to sit up as she glanced out the window briefly to see both the portal had snapped shut with a loud explosion before all the entities still trapped on Earth began to pop and fizzle out of sight.

"Nat." Wanda whispered surprise as the woman whipped her head up from Skylar to see Wanda pointing out the window.

"Their gone, all the shadows are gone." Wanda pointed out as Nat glanced at Skylar in surprise before pulling herself to stand.

"The portal…." Nat whispered as she glanced up at the sky, watching the clouds slowly disappearing, the sun finally shining through.

"Sky!" Wanda met the form of Skylar lying down on the ground as she forgot about the entities and ran to her friend begging any holy being that she had been in time to pull her friend back into the world.

Sliding to her knees beside her friend, her hands hovering over her form, she sniffled as she shut her eyes, saying a silent prayer.

"We….." A voice shouted from the doorway as Wanda's bloodshot eyes shot up to meet Clint's who stared down at Skylar in horror.

"I…." Wanda whispered through a shaky voice as she looked back down at her friend.

"Their gone! All gone! We have won this battle!" Another booming voice entered from the broken window as both Thor and Steve flew in with Sam and Vi right behind them.

Wanda's watery eyes met Steve's who immediately understood the look of devastation on the young woman's face. He dropped his shield in a heartbeat and dove over for Skylar's body, holding her to him as he sobbed, begging her to come back.

"No, no, no, Sky, please no….come back…." He sobbed out, uncaring how loud he was beginning to shout.

"Sky…." Tony entered the room with a now calmed down and shaking Banner on his heels.

Nat held a hand over her mouth, attempting to stop the sounds escaping her mouth as Clint rushed to her side, pulling her to him.

"I-I…." Tony eyes began to leak tears as he yanked off his facemask, discarding it on the ground just as he collapsed to his hands and knees.

"I- I tried….." Wanda's heart continued to shatter in her chest, her wide eyes snapping around the room unsure what to do before she felt a presence at her side. VI quickly made his way to the woman's side, kneeling beside her before hesitantly pulling her to him. Wanda didn't have the strength or interest in ignoring the man's show of comfort and buried her face into his chest, sobbing out for her friend.

* * *

Darkness. That's all she could see as she floated there, unsure where or what she was doing.

" _Skylar? Honey_." A voice whispered somewhere in the darkness as she attempted to pinpoint that familiar voice.

"Ma?" She asked out as she heard her mother's chuckle.

" _I'm proud of you dear_." Her mother continued to praise as Skylar's eyes drooped.

" _You were willing to save them all in trade for your own life_." Her mother soft voice cooed at her.

"Am I dead?" She asked softly, suddenly realizing she could not feel any of the pain from earlier.

" _That is up to you honey_." Her mother's riddle confused her.

" _You have so much potential and so much worth dear, more than you know. You're family and friends need you_." Her mother whispered this time, sounding as if she was getting further and further from her.

" _They need you honey, go to them_." It felt her mother's voice was pushing her away, pushing her into another direction, one that she noticed had a very bright light at the end.

" _Remember what I told you dear, I will always be with you. I love you_ …."

* * *

The voice disappeared before it was quickly replaced with those she knew by heart. She took in a deep breath, feeling as if her lungs were suffocating as the voices around her grew louder.

"Lady Sky…" Thor whispered with his head hung, his heart hurting for their lost friend while everyone battled their own tears.

Steve clung to Skylar's unresponsive body like a lifeline, his tears soaking her platinum hair while her strong arms pinned her to his frame. He couldn't let her go, not yet, not now, not ever.

"Sky…." He whispered into her hair, taking in her familiar scent, attempting to memorize it with the time he had left.

That's when he felt it, her body move as if it was suffocating. He pulled back from her form, loosening his hold on her as he glanced down at her scratched face.

Her lips parted as she gasped in for air, her eyes blinking behind her lids.

"Sky? Sky!" He shouted catching everyone's attention as he caressed her cheek, leaning down to litter her face with kisses before resting his forehead against her own.

"Sky?" Everyone began to ask as they had also saw her body beginning to move with each new breath.

"Ow…" Her raspy and exhausted voice spoke forcefully as the room erupted in relived and thankful smiles. Steve chuckled through his overflow of tears, pulling her once more to his chest, a bit more gentle this time around.

"Don't ever do that to me again." He begged into her ear, pressing his lips to the side of her head.

Seeing her pale and unconscious, technically dead, had been the worst feeling in the world for him. It felt like the air in his lungs wasn't enough to support his body with oxygen. His limbs were shaking, barely able to hold him standing for much longer. The one person that he loved more than anything in the world, had been dead in his arms, but seeing her breathing and even speaking to him, he decided in that moment, this woman, this strong woman, he wanted to keep her at his side forever. No matter the consequences, no matter the trouble that may follow, he was bound determined to protect her till the ends of the earth. And in time, when the opportunity came, he would make it official, just not now, but soon.

He couldn't imagine his life without her and honestly, he wasn't planning on losing her like that ever again.

"Promise Cap." She whispered back, welcoming the overload of kisses her super soldier decided to litter her face as she smiled, silently thanking whoever it was that pulled her back in the nick of time.

Her mother.

 _Thanks Ma_. She thought as her eyes stayed shut, unable to open with little to no energy moving through her body.

She had thought she would never see these people again, never be able to laugh or smile with her friends and family again, but here she was.

Maybe she was truly stronger than she originally thought.

* * *

 **There it is. Hope it was alright.**

 **Just a friendly reminder, next chapter will be the last of this series than I plan on moving into the Civil War plot. Follow me on Fanfic so that you'll be notified when I post the first chapter of that series in the following weeks!**

 **And always, thank you for your continuous support!**


	39. Chapter 39

**This is it!**

 **The last chapter to TORTURED SKY!**

 **Hope you all like it. And like I promised before, stressfree chapter lol**

 **BOLD/** _italics: **memories**_

 **Disclaimer: I do not over Marvel or its characters.**

* * *

It had been two long weeks after the fall of HYDRA that the group once again found themselves, surrounding Skylar as she laid in a hospital bed. Along with the various cuts and bruises that littered her body from head to toe, a broken wrist, twisted ankle, fractured hip and cracked ribs, Dr. Banner had found that her mind capacity had shot up to 99% since the last test she did.

She was the only human in the world, known to man that had ever reached that sort of capacity and it excited Bruce beyond words.

"So you're saying that she is the only person in the world with this ability?" Steve hadn't moved from Skylar's side from the moment they had pulled her unconscious body into the medical wing of the Tower. Sure he left to shower, maybe once or twice but the only way that man ate was if food was physically brought to him, which it was, thankfully.

"It has never been documented, so yes, I well assure you that Sky is the only one alive, with this sort of capability." Bruce answered with no hesitation as he adjusted his glasses.

"Cool, what kind of stuff can she do?" Clint teased as Skylar snorted from the breathing tubes in her toes, her tired eyes attempting to glare across the room at him.

"Barton." Steve warned as Skylar quickly squeezed his hand, stopping him from doing anything physically to the man. The super solider in turn sighed, glancing down at her with a soft smile before taking his seat once more beside her.

"Sorry doll." He whispered, kissing the back of her hand before holding it to his cheek.

"But really, should we be worried?" Nat then asked seriously as Bruce took off his glasses, rubbing the lens clean on his buttoned up shirt.

"As of now, she isn't showing any signs that we should worry aside from that kick ass show she showed off a few weeks ago. But we'll keep monitoring her as often as we can just to be sure. Alright kid?" Tony answered the question that had been floating in the air as he strolled in with his own set of injuries, broken arm now in a sling and a black eye.

"Tony." She whispered warningly through a rasp as he grinned down at her.

"Kidding." He put his one good arm up in defense before he slipped further into the room.

"Anyways, she's fine, so that's all that matters." Sam mentioned with a sigh of relief from his spot against the wall, earning as tired smile from the woman in the middle of the room.

"As it may, I am quite happy to see you awake Lady Sky. You gave us all quite a scare." Thor's booming voice echoed through the room as she chuckled before coughing through a wheeze, earning her a grimace of pain. Steve's eyes shot over in concern, his form shooting to stand as the room got deathly quiet.

"Sky?" Steve asked in worry, his hands hovering over her, not sure what to do or how to help her.

"I think Skylar still needs to rest, I mean, she just woke up but she did take quite the beating to get rid of HYDRA." Wanda pushed, looking at her friend in concern. In all honesty, when Skylar had given them quite the scare and had technically died for all of a few minutes, the team had grown wary and more protective of her. She had showed her worth and more, even when she didn't need to, she had singlehanded saved the world at the cost of her life.

Steve sighed in relief as she had finished cough only to groan and smile softly up at him from her pillow.

"I'm fine. Don't worry." She promised through a whisper as he sat back down in a huff, leaning forward to rest her hand on his forehead.

"Oh, by the way, you're biggest fan came by today, again." Tony mentioned before he completely stepped out of the room.

"Who?" Skylar asked confused as Tony spun to face her with a sigh, disappointed that his cousin hadn't caught his joke. Rolling his eyes, he placed his good hand over his eye before looking at her seriously.

"What did he want?" Steve asked defensively as Tony chuckled at his cousins eye roll before turning to the female assassin that stood beside him with her arms crossed.

"What else?" She asked annoyed as Steve sighed and shook his head.

"I don't want Skylar dealing with SHEILD right now." Steve muttered, turning to glance at the fragile woman who had begun to open her mouth in rejection.

"You're still healing doll, I don't want that man in here bantering you until I can stand to be in the same room as him." He glared at the corner of the room, completely shutting Skylar up.

"Captain's orders." Tony teased with a shrug, waving once before finally disappearing out the door.

"Oh! By the way, you see that stuffed dog right there? That's from yours truly." Clint puffed his chest out proudly as Skylar tilted her head as far as it could go to indeed see a small stuffed bulldog doll sitting on the counter behind Steve.

"Hey! Hey! But look at this, I got something better!" Sam sang as Skylar's eyes whipped to see him pull out a stuffed white snow wolf from his back before holding it out.

"Oh my god…." She whispered with a growing smile, her good arm reaching out for it as Sam stuck his tongue out at Clint and approached her bedside with the doll.

"That's cheating! You asked Rogers didn't you?!" Clint spat annoyed, pointing an accusing finger at Steve who shot his hands up in innocence.

"It's so cute Wilson, thank you." She whispered as the dolls soft fur caressed the inside of palm as he sat it on the bed beside her.

"You are very welcome Sky. Anytime." He grinned brightly, rocking back and forth on his feet before spinning to face Clint with a mock bow. Both the Falcon and Barton marched out of the room, arguing back and forth about favorites before it finally quieted down.

"So, I expect answers about what happened to you back there. I won't stop bothering you till I know." Nat mentioned to her friend with a teasing smile as Skylar sighed and nodded, shutting her eyes.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, go." She muttered with a playful wave as the assassin smirked and exited with a nod to the Captain,

"Let us know if you need anything Sky. We're just a shout away." Bruce then added uncomfortably as she smiled and nodded.

"Thanks doc." She whispered as a small smile grew on his older features before he turned and shuffled out of the room.

"I had thought I lost you back there Lady Sky." Thor's unnaturally quiet voice pulled her from her thoughts as she looked over at the behemoth demi-god in the corner of the room. She blinked a few times before resting her head back, a small smile still on her chapped lips.

"You can't get rid of me that easily." She teased back through a rasp as he lifted his blue eyes to meet hers.

"Indeed it would seem as if the gods have blessed you with miraculous abilities milady. I have them to thank for bringing you back to us." Thor smiled handsomely causing her to blush lightly before smiling.

"You would take good care of milady, will you not Captain?" Thor than turned his attention to Steve who smiled and nodded.

"Of course Thor. We all will."

Thor left the room not long after that, allowing the couple some alone time for the first time since the HYDRA incident. Steve watched Thor's bulky form disappear down the hallway that led to Skylar's temporary hospital room before turning to the woman lying next to him.

"How you holding up doll?" He whispered, turning to give her all of his attention.

"As good as I look." She whispered teasingly, her hazel eyes seeking out his narrowing ones.

"That's not funny doll." He muttered, leaning down to peck the back of her hand again.

"I didn't say it was babe, just pointing out facts. I feel like shit." She rasped out, adjusting herself briefly before wincing in pain at what the movement did to her.

"Language." He scolded halfheartedly as she rolled her eyes, meeting his once more.

"Well I do feel like it." She muttered under her breath, relaxing back into the pillow.

"You gave me a heart attack back there. I thought I lost you." Steve suddenly admitted, his eyes drifting off into their own world as she stared at him, reading the various emotions on his face.

"You did lose me back there, just for a bit." She whispered, squeezing his hand as best she could.

"I know, and it scared me, beyond anything I have ever felt. I never want to feel like that again. I never want to see you laying in my arms lifeless again. You were lucky once but I'd hate to think about the next time when you're not." He confessed deeply as his eyes grew watery. He blinked the tears quickly away and lifted his eyes to meet hers again.

"I can't lose you doll, I can't." He whispered desperately as she sighed, wiggling her hand free from his to place on his cheek.

Skylar had felt slightly guilty when she realized she was alive again, she had basically begged any heavenly being to send her messages to Steve, assuming that she had no way of returning back to Earth. But she hadn't even tried, had she? She had given up quite quickly and had even allowed death to knock on her door. She shut her eyes in embarrassment, willing the thoughts away before smiling over at him as best as she could.

"You won't Steve, ever." She answered, caressing his cheek, watching as he leaned into her touch.

"I love you doll and I just….I can't go through that again. I refuse to." He added back, grabbing her hand to turn his lips, pecking her palm.

"You won't, I promise." She whispered, her heart shattering just a bit more from the look of desperation in his eyes.

She never wanted to see that look on his face ever again.

* * *

1 week later….

Tony strolled into the open door, ducking out of the way of a flying remote control as it floated across the room from one end to the woman still propped up in the hospital bed.

"Good morning to you too." He muttered sarcastically as she grabbed the remote out of the air and flipped the television on.

"Mornin'." She answered back, not meeting his eyes as hers were already glued to the screen.

"Floating remotes around the room, are ya now?" He perked a brow of interest at her as she rolled her eyes.

"Figured I could use them to help me out a bit, just till I'm back on my feet. Mom did say I was given them for a reason." Skylar had slowly come to terms with her enhancements, now looking at them as gifts to better protect not only herself but her family also.

"That reason being to float remote controls at your disposal?" He remarked playfully sending her glaring over him from her bed.

"Shut up." She muttered annoyed, her voice still coming out as a rasp, but at least she could speak a bit louder now.

"So, where's your daily bodyguard?" Tony plopped down on Steve's usual seat, grinning, amused with himself.

"Told that man to go take a shower. He was starting to ripen in that seat." She gagged a bit as Tony sat forward, smelling the air around the seat.

"Smells like something died." Tony grumbled as she attempted to dust off the imaginative smell from his clothes.

"Oh he doesn't smell that bad." Skylar glared at him halfheartedly before turning back to the screen.

"So…" Tony sighed out, patting his thighs as his eyes immediately began to wander around the room. Small talk was never his forte.

"So?" Skylar asked, settling back into her pillows before glancing over at her cousins uncomfortable form.

"About the….you know….what happened…and you and me….." He began to dish out as she cocked her head confused.

"Spit it out Stark." She hissed at him as he spun to face her, his eyes hardening.

"Don't ever do something like that again." He scolded as she blinked a few times, wondering what exactly she had done that he was speaking of.

"You knew there was a chance that you couldn't get back home and still, you sent me on." He shoved his hands back into his pants, softly glaring at her when she realized what he had been referring to.

"If I hadn't done that, you'd still be there, most likely." She muttered, not having the energy just yet to argue with her cousin.

"Hey…Oh Stark. What's going on?" Steve had dashed into the room, worried that if he had been gone too long, something more would happen to her. But to his surprise, she wasn't alone and instead was sharing a glaring contest with her cousin.

"You don't know that Sky!" He grew angry as Steve furrowed his brows, about to step in before Skylar rose her good hand, stopping him from approaching.

"I do know that Tony. I've been in that world, much more times than you have. I know the stress it puts on you, not only mentally but physically as well. You're consciousness would have disintegrated within time and your body, Tony, you know what happens to a body that no longer has any mental capabilities. You become a vegetable." Skylar scolded back, understanding what Tony was going on about but she knew more than he did, for once.

Steve on the other hand, silently watched once he realized what the argument had been about.

"Tony, that world, is not meant for people like us to stay for long periods of time. You would not have survived there, even if we found a way to bring you back. I'm sorry Tony, I really am for what I did, but it was for the best." She pushed desperately, still remembering her mother's voice ringing through her mind.

"For the best?" Tony looked pissed as she had spoken those last words and scoffed, turning to face Steve who looked at him in defense.

"From where I stand, you are the best for the team." Tony's voice lowered, though he couldn't meet her eyes and brushed past Steve and out the door.

Skylar opened her mouth, wanting to call out for her cousin only for her voice to die in her still sensitive throat.

"It's alright doll. Let him go. He just needs time, like all of us." Steve reassured her with a pat to her good foot before he approached her side, leaning down to press his lips to her own.

"I know, I just can't stand that look of abandonment on his face." She confessed sadly as Steve pulled his chair closer, sitting close enough to her side to allow her to turn her head as far as it could go to rest her head on his shoulder.

"Just give him time sweetheart, he'll come around." He whispered against her forehead, pressing his lips to it once more.

* * *

"And she walks….well, rolls!" Clint shouted teasingly as Skylar had finally left the hospital wing, being rolled into the Avengers, newly fixed shared living area. Said woman only snorted, notching her chin up a bit as the glass of, what she assumed to be alcohol, in his hand, tipped back, spilling down the front of his shirt. He yelled in surprise, his arms at a safe distance while a few snickers echoed through the room.

"Sky…." He warned as she blinked innocently from her wheelchair.

"What?" She asked cutely as Steve chuckled from behind her, leaning down far enough to kiss the crown of her head.

"How are you feeling today?" Wanda was instantly at her side once Steve had rolled her over towards the couch.

"Better. I can finally speak without cringing. My hip isn't as sore as before, only just a little when I move too quickly. Ribs are fine and wrist, well, still in a cast." She held up her teal collared wrist cast that went from the bottom of her fingers to about halfway down her forearm.

"And…." She gestured to her head conspicuously as Skylar's eyes shot over to Steve to see him chat softly with Nat who passed her a knowing glance.

"It's fine. I feel…..lighter for some reason." She confessed as Wanda smiled softly over at her friend.

* * *

"So what ever happened to Collins?" Skylar asked from her seat at the dining table where she slipped a spoon full of chowder into her mouth.

"Tony. He was very proud of shooting a crater through that bastards face." Sam chuckled from across the table as she laughed with him, shaking her head.

"Typical. He wouldn't waste a chance." She teased, looking over to see her cousin's seat at the table, still empty.

She hadn't spoken to her cousin since that day in her hospital room. She felt terrible yet a part of her knew she had done what was for the best. Yet she felt she needed to understand where her cousin was coming from to some extent.

"You okay doll?" Steve's voice brought her from her thoughts as she looked over from her chowder to see her blue eyed soldier looking at her in concern. Once she met her eyes, the worry that she had begun to feel, disappeared and was replaced with relief and happiness.

"Yeah, I'm doing great baby." She answered back, leaning over to peck his cheek before going back to her soup.

* * *

"Sure you can't stay?" She asked hopeful as she stared up at the demi-god, dressed to the nines in his Asgardian wear as they stood alone on the balcony. Thor chuckled in his usual amused tone before he knelt in front of her, placing his hammer down at his side.

"If it was of my decision, you know I would always be at your side Lady Skylar." Thor answered with his team winning smile causing her to chuckle.

"Trying to woo me again, are we?" She quirked a brow teasingly as he laughed even louder, catching the attention of the group patiently waiting inside to give the pair their privacy.

"Aye, I would be honored to have such a strong and beautiful woman at my side but alast, you and the Captain are perfect for each other. I would not stand to break something so pure apart." He answered back seriously as she smiled, reaching out to grab his hand with the one that wasn't still currently wrapped in a cast.

"I'll miss ya big guy. More than you know and thank you, thank you for protecting me and always being there when I need someone on my side." She thanked him genuinely sending the demi-god smiling.

"I will always be here for you Lady Skylar. Whenever you need me, just yell for me. Heimdall sees all, remember?" He teased with his own brow quirked causing her to laugh again.

"You know, no matter how many times you say that, it doesn't get any less creepy." She teased as laughed, leaning forward to peck her forehead lovingly.

"You take care of yourself and the others while I am gone. I will return in no time." He stood, watching as she continued to grip his hand, not wanting him to leave.

"Take care of yourself too. I don't want to have to find a way up there." She playfully narrowed her eyes as he chuckled, leaning down to kiss the back of her head.

"I would very much like for you to visit my home, my lady." He slipped his hand from her own and took a step back.

"Bring me back some Asgardian gifts, would ya?" She called over as Steve slipped out with the rest of the group, the super soldier grabbing onto the handles of her wheelchair, pulling her back just a little.

"I will. You all take care of yourself. Call if anything is amiss once more. I will not stand to tolerate being forgotten again." He narrowed his eyes at a few group members who grinned sheepishly.

"See ya." Skylar whispered, waving her hand softly as Thor smiled at her once more before he disappeared in a bright pillar of lights.

* * *

"Do you feel any different than you did before the HYDRA incident?" Bruce inquired her as they sat alone in Tony's lab, the doctor wanting to do a few tests on the woman seeing as she was now out of a wheelchair and moving around a bit better.

"Lighter." She immediately answered the doctor.

She felt it, the moment she woke from her consciousness in that hospital bed. Everything just felt, lighter, like she didn't have the largest ball of stress sitting on her shoulders night and day. She couldn't completely explain it, but she no longer loathed the abilities she was given, she no longer feared them, she no longer resented them. Her mind frame towards them had completely changed and opened up.

All thanks to her mother.

Bruce looked up from his paperwork, his aging eyes taking in the look of relaxation playing on her face, something he wasn't used to seeing since everything with HYDRA had begun.

"Lighter?" He asked in interest as she chuckled and nodded from her stool, just opposite of Bruce.

"Yeah, it sounds weird but I just, I'm not afraid of them anymore." She glanced down at her palms in thought. Bruce chuckled and nodded, notating it down into his notes.

"And with your mental capabilities, like I mentioned before, your brain capacity has gone up to 99%, just 1% away from 100. Do you feel at all different in any way, whether physically or mentally?" Bruce then asked, his eyes shining with excitement, wanting to know more from her.

"I do." She nodded her head, meeting his eyes with a smile.

"How so?" He asked in interest as she rested her chin on her open palm, humming, wondering how to explain it.

"I feel like…..like I can do anything. Like I'm capable of doing much more than I can now. My mind feels much more open than it once did. When I look around, I feel like I'm looking through a new pair of eyes. I see colors I never knew existed, when I'm out in the sun, my skin feels much more alive, my senses are always on an overload and my mind feels like it's brand new. That is the only way I know how to explain it." She had explained it to the best of her ability while Bruce had intently listened in interest, her mind thump in anticipation in what to expect.

* * *

"We saw my mom and Uncle Howard." It was Skylar's first day at physical training to get her form back up and running. Nat glanced up from the small weights she had been sliding into place on the leg machine while Steve laid a good bit away, lifting an unimaginable amount of weights.

"Wait. Who?" Nat asked confused as she bypassed the weights and instead sat on the small amount of bench still open between Skylar's legs.

"You heard me." Skylar repeated, not beating an eye as Nat glanced at her, unsure what to say.

"Wait, I thought you said that place was meant for evil entities?" Nat then asked, even more confused as Skylar sighed and nodded.

"That was my exact thoughts when I first saw them but they had mentioned showing up because they knew I would need the help." Skylar explained as Nat stared at her silently before nodding.

"Tony saw his dad then?" Nat then asked as Skylar sighed and nodded again.

"Yeah, that he did. Uncle Howard chewed him out like I knew he would." Skylar couldn't help but chuckle softly.

"What happened while you were there Sky? Something happened, something you aren't telling us. I can see it, both in you and Tony." Nat's voice lowered as Skylar hung her head, picking at her fingernails.

"I didn't think I would make it, I gave up, quickly. I said my goodbyes to Steve and all. I didn't even try to get back, I just….." She shrugged, shutting her eyes guiltily while Nat stared at her in mild surprise.

"Don't hold that above you Sky? We've all been in your place, maybe not physically but mentally, we've all gone through times that we have given up hope and into fear. So don't let something like that hold you down, it's natural." Nat whispered, placing a comforting hand on her friends shoulder as she lowered her voice, realizing she hadn't told Steve any of this.

* * *

5 weeks later…

"Go out with me today?" Steve's voice yanked her from her thoughts as she had been staring at herself in the mirror while brushing her teeth. Glancing away from her reflection and to his in the mirror, she spit out her toothpaste, washing out her mouth before turning to finally face him.

"What?" She asked, noticing the small tint of red brushing his cheeks. He took in a deep air of breath, slipping his hands into his sweats pocket before he took a step into their bathroom.

"Go out with me today? Just you and me." He asked a bit more hopeful as she tilted her head, her platinum hair falling over her shoulder and down her chest, having gone considerably in the last couple months.

"Today, but I thought we had a meeting with Fury today? You made that appointment with him after all." She teased, patting his bare chest as she slipped past him and into the room, only to disappear into their shared closet.

"We'll ditch it." He offered as he followed her into the closet, watching as she fluttered through her clothes.

"Ditch?" She asked surprised, looking at him in mock shock.

"The great and all innocent Captain America wants to ditch something? Who are you and what have you done with my boyfriend?" She teased as he playfully glared at him.

"Ha ha ha, you are so funny but I'm serious." He whined as she pulled out a pair of dark skinny jeans, slipping them up her slim legs. Steve, having had a ton on his mind, was swept from his thoughts as his eyes followed the fabric up her pale and perfect legs before watching as she buttoned the top, covering the small peak of black lace he was able to get a look at.

"My eyes are up here big boy." She whispered teasingly once she had realized he was practically drooling as he watched her dress.

Steve blushed brightly, clearing his throat while choking back on air before finally meeting her eyes. Skylar laughed at the look on his face before grabbing a blue blouse from a nearby hanger, dropping her robe to the ground before slipping the top over her matching lace bra, immediately noticing the look of both lust and embarrassment crossing her super soldiers face.

"So where will we be going on this date?" She asked, slipping back past him with a teasing brush of her fingers along the top of his sweats before heading back into the bathroom to do her hair.

Steve took in a shuttering breath at her touch, willing back the feeling of blowing his plans out of the water thanks to the growing need in his pants.

"I-It's a secret." He answered with a little more difficulty then needed, adjusting himself in his pants before peeking into the bathroom, watching as Skylar slipped her hair up into a neat ponytail.

"Secret huh?" She asked in interest, watching him in the reflection of the mirror before turning to face him with a loving smile. Steve's eyes took in her form from top to bottom, feeling his heart swell with emotions as he got a good look at her. All her injuries had healed and not one of them were still visible, though she did complain about her wrist every once in a while.

"Yes, secret." He swallowed as she smiled again, strolling forward towards him, wrapping her arms around his small waist before resting her chin on his chest.

"So, what do you say, doll?" It was growing harder and harder for him to control himself around her, especially seeing as she was no longer injured, there really was nothing holding him back from having a repeat of their sexual escapades. He really wanted a repeat, desperately, but he knew, while she was healing, she needed to rest more than anything.

"I say…am I dressed properly for this date?" She pulled away, offering herself to him as he took her in one more time with a laugh.

"You could be wearing a trash bag and still, you'd look gorgeous in it. You look perfect." He teased as she broke out laughing before shaking her head in amusement.

"You woo all your girls like this soldier?" She teased back, poking his chest before slipping past him to slap his ass.

"No, just you doll." He pinched her butt before she could get away, before he approached their room door, grabbing her grey suede trench coat from the back of the door, holding it out to her.

"It's supposed to be a bit chilly outside today. Don't want you to catch a cold." He explained to her look of confusion as she sighed in defeat, naturally hating the fact that she had to wear a coat, but slipped it on anyways.

"Any chance of sharing that super soldier serum with lil'ole me so I don't have to go out, bundled to the bone." She whined cutely as he chuckled, tugging her collar together before leaning down to press his lips to hers.

"Not a chance doll, but I'll share my warmth with you." He teased back, slipping his leather jacket on while she looked at him, unamused.

"Evil." She muttered under her breath, rolling her eyes as she adjusted the coat on her form.

* * *

"A walk through central park? This is where you wanted to take me?" She asked in interest as they strolled hand in hand through the almost empty park.

"Yeah, why not. You used to like walking through here." He looked down at her worried that she wasn't liking their day out so far. She glanced up at the worry in his tone and chuckled, shaking her head as she wrapped her arm around his bicep, nuzzling into his warm side.

"No, no, no, I love it, just didn't expect you to want to." She shrugged, resting her cheek against the leather of his arm.

"I always want to. This is one of those things I miss doin' with ya doll." He confessed, pulling his arm free before wrapping it around her waist to pull her even closer.

"I miss this too. This sense of comfort and normalcy." She answered back before they reached a clearing of grass just to the right of them.

"You remember this spot?" She chewed on her lip, attempting to stop herself from laughing till her lungs exploded. Steve on the other looked to be looking into the unwanted memories as he glanced at the open area with a grimace.

"No." He immediately rejected, turning to look elsewhere while trying to drag her away from there.

"Nu-uh, I know you know this spot." She laughed, yanking him in the opposite direction.

He could have fought her pull but he didn't.

* * *

 _ **"That dude has been staring at you since we got here." Nat mentioned over secretively while the two laid out under one of the more shaded trees, relaxing after running 3 miles around the perimeter of the park. Skylar looked over in the direction of where her friend had nudged her head in to see a pair of dudes, acting as if they were relaxing while flexing, overly dramatic.**_

 _ **"Pffft….eww.." Skylar rolled her eyes uninterested before leaning back against the tree.**_

 _ **"Why? He looks….interesting." To be honest, Nat was unsure how to explain the man that had been oogling her friend and was quite pleased that said woman had no interest in men like that.**_

 _ **"Interesting? Yeah, in himself, look at him." She pointed out annoyed to see the man now doing random sit ups while his friend loudly counted for him.**_

 _ **"Yeah I can see it now. "Skylar baby, are my muscles too big?" "Skylar honey, do these weights match my pose?" "Skylar babe, we're out of protein shakes! We must get more!" Nat began to teasingly pose out on the grass in front of her while imitating the man's voice. Skylar broke out laughing, swatting her friend playfully, begging her to stop as Nat laughed and rolled out of reach.**_

 _ **"Sorry, not sorry." Nat laughed once more as they both calmed down enough to see the two men watching them in interest.**_

 _ **"So, if not them, then…" Nat perked a brow in her friend's direction, already seeing Skylar glaring at her.**_

 _ **"Shut up." She shut the woman right up with a hiss causing Nat to laugh.**_

 _ **"Aw come on, it's been what, 6 months, just come out and tell the man already!" Nat whined desperately, finding it harder and harder to keep her friends crush a secret.**_

 _ **"And speak of the devil, this is your chance." Nat's eyes caught something in the distance as she nudged her head before Skylar glanced over her shoulder to see Sam and none other than Steve himself, running the same route the two girls had just taken.**_

 _ **"Dear god, this day just gets better and better." Sky muttered under her breath, pushing her unruly hair from her face, suddenly feeling self-conscious about the way she looked.**_

 _ **"Aw you look beautiful, a little sweaty, but beautiful." Nat teased as Sky glared at her, growling curses under her breath.**_

 _ **"What? You do! The whole sports bra and yoga shorts, yup, big turn on." Nat continued, knowing she was pushing her friend's buttons as she went on.**_

 _ **"Would you shut up already?!" Sky whisper shouted at her friend who was now rolling in laughter beside her.**_

 _ **"Ladies." Sam's familiar voice chirped into their conversation as Skylar's eyes whipped around and up to the two men towering over them.**_

 _ **"Gentlemen." Nat offered back, smiling knowingly at Sam who winked at the woman.**_

 _ **"What are you two doing out here at this time of day?" Steve then asked, his cheek tinting as he noticed how Skylar was dressed, along with the layer of noticeable sweat covering her visible form.**_

 _ **"Running. We go running here every Monday, Wednesday and Friday Cap, you know that." Nat teased, noticing the way he was unconsciously eying her friend.**_

 _ **"Then we ran into these two dudes over there who keep calling us over for ice cream or something. Sky and I were just discussing taking up their offer." Nat continued to tease, noticing the look darken in Steve's eyes as he lifted his eyes to look over at the pair of men across the way. Skylar in turn slowly turned to face Nat with a 'what-the-hell' are you doing look which received her a 'trust-me-play-along-look' that Skylar wasn't all too trusting in.**_

 _ **"Ice cream huh?" Sam asked, side eying the super soldier beside him.**_

 _ **"Oh, and look at that, here they come." Nat whispered softly over to Sky who glanced up in horror to see the two men approaching them, chest puffed out dramatically.**_

 _ **"Hello ladies." The taller one that had been eyeing Skylar spoke up first, completely ignoring the other men present.**_

 _ **"Gentlemen." Nat nodded at them, attempting to seem even just a bit interested in the pair.**_

 _ **"So, we couldn't help but notice you both from over there, just wanted to see if a pair of beautiful women would be interested in joining us for some dinner tonight?" He smirked down at the pair, his eyes eating both of them up from head to toe while his friend chuckled from beside him.**_

 _ **"Yeah, we be honored to have such gorgeous women join us." His friend took a step closer to the pair before someone beside Skylar had cleared his throat, quite loudly too.**_

 _ **"They're with us." Steve's low voice pierced through the air suddenly as Skylar lifted her eyes up his taut frame to meet his dark eyes now solely focused on the two men before them.**_

 _ **"With you? Ha! You just showed up, I say they are still up for grabs." The man defended proudly while his friend laughed.**_

 _ **"And it didn't look like the ladies were all that interested to begin with." The other man offered, glancing back and forth between Sam and Steve.**_

 _ **"Hey man, you know what…" Sam stepped up, slightly offended before Steve stepped up, stopping Sam from continuing.**_

 _ **"I said the ladies are with us. They are clearly not interested in the likes of you."**_

* * *

"You were so cute, jealous and all." Skylar cooed from beside him as he grumbled under his breath, his cheeks tinting further.

"Come on…" He whined, pulling her away from that part of the park before they continued out of the park and into a waiting cab.

They spoke of happy memories together, from the time they realized they had an interest in each other, to various times they had attempted in telling the other they liked the other, before chickening out. It was quite funny to know how much they had tip-toed around each other over the months.

Before long, the taxi they had been stuck in pulled up outside Coney Island which sent Skylar into a fit of squealing before she practically dragged Steve out of the taxi, barely giving the man enough time to throw money at the driver. Steve had known, for quite some time that Skylar had been dying to go to Coney Island, but seeing as they were busy superheroes that barely had enough time for themselves, Steve never did have the chance to take her there.

"I still remember that story you told me about you throwing up that hotdog." They had spent the rest of the day riding rides and eating enough junk food till they felt like they were going to puke, well, Skylar anyways.

Steve groaned in resentment for telling Skylar that story to begin with while they both walked, hand in hand down the sand of the beach towards the small waves crashing on shore.

"What? We all had our bad days. I remember laughing so hard, fries and root beer came shooting out of my nose." She confessed causing Steve to stop and look down at her in surprise.

"You never told me that story." He looked down at her amused as she smiled up at him, letting his hand go so she could wrap her arms around his waist.

"Not really a story a girl would want to tell her boyfriend, don't you think?" She quirked a brow up at him as he laughed, wrapping his large arms around her.

"No, I guess not though it wouldn't make me love you any less." He whispered teasingly sending her blushing.

"Tease." She muttered playfully, attempting to cover up her embarrassment before a firework show from Coney Island broke their conversation.

Laying her head against his large chest, she watched the fireworks in silent awe while Steve smiled down at her, leaning down far enough to peck the top of her head.

"I love you doll." He whispered against the crown of her head, pulling her eyes up to meet his.

"I love you too." She smiled adoringly at him as his eyes searched her own briefly.

"And you know I never want to live life without you, right?" He then asked, one hand reaching up to brush a stray hair from her face.

"Yes, I know, you've told me countless times." She answered, turning her head to peck his palm before he laid it on her cheek.

"When I saw you that day, after HYDRA fell, pale, not breathing…..I-I…didn't know what I was going to do. I couldn't breathe, I couldn't think…everything hurt. I never want to feel like that again….I don't want to lose you, ever." His voice took on another emotion as her eyes softened at his confession.

"You won't, I promise." She whispered back, nuzzling his chin softly.

"Doll, look at me." Steve whispered as she slowly and hesitantly pulled away from his chin, her hazel eyes meeting his now serious blues. They stared at each other for a moment longer, Skylar's heart thudded loudly in her chest as she found it hard to read the emotions in his eyes. When he pulled away from her, panic settled in her gut, wondering if he was somehow coming to terms that loving someone like her would only bring you pain and death. Maybe he was tired of her. Tears filled her tears uncontrollably as various options shot through her mind within that second before the unexpected happened.

In all her years, in all the months she had crushed over this man, in all the months they had dated, in all those months they had gone through heartache after heartache, she never expected this to happen, ever.

Steve slowly and nervously, got down on one knee like Nat and Sam had explained to him and smiled up at her look of confusion.

"When I first met you in Fury's office, I knew you were someone special right from the get go. You weren't like any other gal I ever came across. And for that, I love you. The first time I saw you smile, I knew, then, that someone seriously special had entered my life." He smiled, though nervously up at her while she stared down at him in a trance.

"I know I promised you I would protect you with everything I have, and I haven't been doing the best…." He began to ramble angrily before she let go of one of his hands long enough to caress his cheek, stopping him.

"Just ask me." She whispered with a watery smile sending him smiling sheepishly before clearing his throat.

"Skylar Anne Stark." He addressed with a new found confidence, slipping his hands back into her own as she nodded down at him.

"Yes?" She asked out in a shaky voice.

"Will you marry me?" He squeaked out, sending her heart soaring.

"God yes. A million times yes."

This is where her life was meant to be.

With this man standing before her.

It didn't matter where they were, who they were with or what they were doing.

As long as she had Steve in her life, she was fine with whatever the future threw at her.

He was her life.

Now and Forever.

* * *

 **So that is officially the end of TORTURED SKY!**

 **First, I would like to thank all my supports that stuck with me till the bitter end and continued to deal with my late posting from time to time. You guys are worth the sweat, tears and stress I put into each and every chapter of this series!**

 **Like I mentioned before, the series will continue into the Civil War plot so be sure to follow me so that you will be notified once I update the first chapter, which could happen in the next couples weeks, honestly probably not till after the new years. Gives me some time to spend with the familia during the holidays.**

 **Either than that, hope to see you all back once the Civil War. Also, I'm looking for any opinions on potential names for the next series! I'm open to anything to please, private message me when you have the chance, I'd love to hear from you all!**

 **Thank you once again! I will be back, VERY soon!**

 **Love, topthis808**


	40. Chapter 40

So, I figured I would add an extra chapter just to inform all my followers who had been excited for the sequel of Tortured Sky. Well, it is up and running and waiting for you all to read!

I'm really excited to see where Sky goes through with the Civil War plot. I have a few ideas in mind and can't wait to bring them to life.

Anyways, I hope to see you all in the sequel, Blood and Loyalty.

COME JOIN ME FOR ANOTHER ROLLERCOASTER OF EMOTIONS! MUAHAHAHHA

s/12310631/1/Blood-and-Loyalty-Sequel-to-Tortured-Sky

Remember to SUBSCRIBE, READ and REVIEW!

Love you all,

topthis808


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